Focus on Congregation Emanu-El the SCRIBE

Volume XXXII • 2012 THE SCRIBE THE JOURNAL OF THE JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

Featured in this issue Artistic Expressions of Spirituality Focus on Congregation Emanu-El THE SCRIBE

THE JOURNAL OF THE JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

Artistic Expressions of Spirituality Focus on Congregation Emanu-El

Volume XXXII • 2012 This issue of The Scribe has been generously supported by: the Cyril Leonoff Fund for the Jewish Historical Society of British Columbia; the Yosef Wosk Publication Endowment Fund; Dora and Sid Golden and family; Betty and Irv Nitkin; and an anonymous donor. Editor: Cynthia Ramsay Publications Committee: Betty Nitkin, Perry Seidelman and archivist Jennifer Yuhasz, with appreciation to Josie Tonio McCarthy and Marcy Babins Layout: Western Sky Communications Ltd.

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Cover Photos: See ph oto sources throughout the publication. THE JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

The Jewish Historical Society of British Columbia ( JHSBC) was founded on January 25, 1971, under the direction of historian Cyril Leonoff, with assistance from the National Council of Jewish Women and Canadian Jewish Congress, Pacific Region. By 2002, the JHSBC’s collection had become so extensive that it became apparent that a formal archives was needed to house their records. The Jewish Museum and Archives of British Columbia ( JMABC), administered by the historical society, officially opened to the public on March 25, 2007.

The JHSBC is the preeminent and authoritative body for the gathering and sharing of community memory of Jewish life in British Columbia. Through its publications, education programs, public events and the operation of the archi ves, the JHSBC collects, researches, preserves, exhibits and interprets archival material and artifacts related to the history of the Jewish people in British Columbia.

The society’s holdings comprise records from 70 organizations, families and individuals, and cover the years 1860-2012, with predominant dates of 1920-2005. As of publication, the archives holds 1,000 linear metres of textual files, 300,000 photographs and 700 oral history interviews.

The Scribe is the annual journal published by the JHSBC. As an anthology, often with peer-reviewed articles, it seeks to cover all aspects of the Jewish experience in British Columbia and Western Canada, including history, culture, art, literature, religion, communal activities and contributions to the development and progress of Canada.

THE SCRIBE Volume XXXII • 2012

CONTENTS

I. Editor’s Introduction 7

II. Artistic Expressions of Spirituality 11 “Reading Torah” by Dvora Levin 11 “Community” by Adele Vernon 13 Creating Congregation Emanu-El’s Parochet by Celia Brauer 15 Calling All Artists Project by Barbara Pelman 23

III. Focus on Congregation Emanu-El 45 Discovering the History of the 20th Century by Jordan Stanger-Ross 45 The Emanu-El of Victoria, Vancouver Island by Cyril E. Leonoff 51 Preserving, Rehabilitating and Restoring Emanu-El of Victoria by Ed Fitch 81 Rabbis of Congregation Emanu-El from 1863 to 2012 by Sharon Fitch 97 From the JHSBC Collection: Oral History Excerpts – 150 Years of Congregation Emanu-El 107 From the JHSBC Collection: Images of Congregation Emanu-El 139

IV. Recent Publications 147

V. Contributors 153

VI. Archivist’s Report 157

EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION

In an age where almost everything seems to be disposable, it is wonderful to focus this issue of The Scribe on the efforts of some of the many different people over the last 150 years who have dedicated themselves to preserving and developing Canada’s oldest synagogue in continuous use.

After an auspicious beginning, Victoria’s Congregation Emanu-El struggled to survive through much of the 20th century, but now boasts the most members it has ever had. In part, the congregation was revi- talized when, in 1979, it decided to take on the risky venture of com- pletely restoring their historic building to its 1863 magnificence when it would have been easier in many respects, and less expensive, to have left the rundown structure and moved, or to have knocked it down and rebuilt anew. T he fanfare that accompanied the synagogue’s ini- tial opening also rightfully accompanied its rededication in 1982. Awards and accolades followed, recognizing the care and accuracy with which the restoration had been carried out.

This issue of The Scribe begins with poems written by two Victoria Jewish community members: Dvora Levin’s “Reading Torah,” and Adele Vernon’s “Community.” While Levin’s poem speaks of that which is transitory, its point of reference is the unchanging sacred text that has united Jews throughout history. Vernon directly speaks to the Jewish immigrant experience, in particular those settlers who made Victoria their home and created there such a rich and resilient community.

Levin and Vernon are representative of the strong presence and participation of artists in the Emanu-El community. The artistic conflu- ence with spirituality is affirmed in the articles by Celia Brauer, about the creation of the synagogue’s ark curtain (parochet), and Barbara Pelman, about the congregation’s unique Calling All Artists program. 8 T H E S C R I B E

Jordan Stanger-Ross’ tale of discovery leads off the next section of this issue. “As the community organized for the 150th anniversary, congregants began to take notice of the boxes scattered around the synagogue,” he writes. A professional historian, Stanger-Ross was “drafted into the effort” to organize the materials, and this led to their donation to the Jewish Museum and Archives of British Columbia (JMABC).

It is through the museum and archives that the Jewish Historical Society of British Columbia (JHSBC) executes its mission to preserve and tell the story of the Jewish people of British Columbia. As a provincial institution, the JMABC is charged with documenting, collecting and preserving material from Jewish communities across the province, from northern British Columbia to the Okanagan and the Kootenays, to the Greater Vancouver area and, of course, Vancouver Island.

The records that have been found at Emanu-El will provide the basis of more research and analysis into the Victoria Jewish community, building upon that which has been compiled to date by others, most notably JHSBC historian emeritus Cyril E. Leonoff, whose article provides an extensive overview of the community’s history fr om the mid-19th century to the present day. Ed Fitch’s contribution covers some of the community’s historical highlights as well, in order to provide context for the preservation work that remains to be done – work that is essential if the synagogue building is to survive another century, or more. Last but certainly not least, Sharon Fitch provides a concise summary of the congregation’s spiritual leadership from the time of its establishment through to Rabbi Harry Brechner, who has led Emanu-El since 2001.

Brechner is one of the interviewees in the section highlighting the JHSBC’s Oral History Program. This section also includes a lengthy excerpt from Rabbi Victor Reinstein, who led the congregation from 1982-1998, as well as shorter excerpts from community members Josephine Lancaster and Daisy Minchin, 9 interviewed in 1972; I. Rena Robinson Phillips, interviewed in 1983; and Louis Sutker, who was interviewed in 2001. Rather than an interview with Martin Levin, who was head of the synagogue’s restoration committee, this section contains almost the entire speech Levin delivered about the restoration project to a University of British Columbia audience in June 1983. The photographs featured in From the JHSBC Collection: Images of Congregation Emanu-El take readers from a picture of Meyer Grossman’s 1903 confirmation certificate to the 2003 dedication of the congregation’s Fisher Building.

Because of the desire to focus on Congregation Emanu-El in this issue of The Scribe, there are no book reviews, as there have been in previous years. However, because of the importance of historical research and the publication of books that provide insight into our collective past, a list of recent publications is included.

JMABC archivist Jennifer Yuhasz completes the journal with her annual update, which describes two recent acquisitions related to Congregation Emanu-El: the one mentioned by Stanger-Ross, comprising more than 17 boxes of material dating from circa 1865 into the 2000s; the other containing manuscripts and letters dating as far back as 1862. Also this year, the museum received sponsorships to cover the costs of processing 10 different archival collections and, of the six collections now accessible to researchers, two relate to the synagogue: Ralph Barer’s Congregation Emanu-El collection, sponsored by Chris and Rhoda Friedrichs, and John Keenlyside’s Congregation Emanu-El collection, sponsored by John Keenlyside. Hopefully, all of this new material and the processing work that has been done will allow for more research of the Vancouver Island Jewish community, especially its 20th-century history which has, to date, been less explored.

Everyone can contribute to the work of the archives, if not by donating items and/or financial support, then with an article, essay, interview, commentary or review in The Scribe. Submission informa- 10 T H E S C R I B E tion is found at the end of this journal. Back issues of The Scribe can be downloaded from http://www.jewishmuseum.ca/Scribe, while current issues can be obtained by contacting the museum directly at 604- 257-5199 or [email protected]. Dvora Levin: Reading Torah 11

READING TORAH by Dvora Levin

We open photographs of our ancient lives, hold these small negatives up to the light to reveal undiscovered paradise or merely the realities of that time, that place. To harvest this orchard of worn out stories, we peel off possibilities, layer after layer: nature or miracle madness or sanity submission or free will, always attempting to move towards centre, trembling. translucent, tra nsitory. It is always transitory.

Adele Vernon: Community 13

COMMUNITY by Adele Vernon

I’m only one drop among The flood of immigrants here. We have come, over the years From everywhere and nowhere. Family names intact or changed At the border entry posts. Sometimes using an alias Escaping a troubled past. Only a small percentage Were the children of Israel, Becoming businesspeople And trading with the Natives, Useful metal tools or knives For the precious beaver furs Going through San Francisco For European top hats. Then setting up trading posts Following the gold rush route. Supplying the prospectors With coffee, beans and shovels, Sacks of flour, long underwear. While the ones who stayed behind Became lawyers and judges, Politicians and teachers, Social activists as well. Building in Victoria 14 T H E S C R I B E

A Jewish cemetery Holding our history. Afterwards a Synagogue Still open for services And the first time I entered I felt embraced by prayers Soaked into the wood and bricks For more than a hundred years. This new land, this paradise, Weaving our nomadic strains Into a whole tapestry, Binding tightly together Differences, languages, Colours and distinct cultures. Our unique heritages Are all celebrated here. Celia Brauer: Creating Congregation Emanu-El’s Parochet 15

CREATING CONGREGATION EMANU-EL’S PAROCHET By Celia Brauer

It was 1979. After recently graduating from Concordia University in fine arts, I had moved west from my roots in Montreal and eventually settled in Victoria. It wasn’t long before I discovered the city’s synagogue and started to attend services. Congregation Emanu-El was housed in a small non-descript building covered with yellow stucco on the corn er of Blanshard and Pandora. The first time I discovered the shul, I was waiting for the green light to cross Blanshard. The sight of the very massive Jewish star on the front above the entrance almost stopped me in my tracks.

Unbeknownst to me, there was an historic brick building hiding underneath that yellow stucco. In 1978, a committee had gathered together to create a fundraising campaign to restore the original structure and, soon after, I received a request for funding in the mail. I knew I wouldn’t be able to offer much in the way of money for this cause from my then close to minimum wage job, so I went to visit the shul’s rabbi at the time and told him that I was a budding artist with more spare time than money, “Was there anything creative I could contribute to the new building?” Rab bi Harvey Markowitz didn’t hesitate for a moment. “We could use a new parochet,” he said. “Can you make us one?” If I had known what a parochet was perhaps I could have responded, but my formal Jewish education had not been extensive and my knowledge did not include this word. “You know, an ark curtain for the aron kodesh!” he said. This was language I could understand. I agreed to look into the p ossibility and went away to do some research.

I was more suited to the job than I had realized initially. As a child, I had made clothes for my dolls and, later on, sewed and knitted items for my own wardrobe. While my formal art training never empha- sized fabric as a medium, I started instinctively creating large and 16 T H E S C R I B E

PHOTOGRAPHER: CYRIL E. LEONOFF; JMABC L.06710 JMABC LEONOFF; E. CYRIL PHOTOGRAPHER: The interior of Congregation Emanu-El, with the then new parochet designed and created by Celia Brauer. A Canadian flag lies across bimah because this photo was taken at the building’s designation as a National Historic Site, June 26, 1983.

Below: A sketch of the final parochet design, showing how it would cover Congregation Emanu-El’s ark. small appliqué works after gradua- BRAUER CELIA OF COURTESY tion. These new art forms suited my disposition well and I came by this skill honestly. My maternal grandmother had eked out a meagre living as a seamstress in their home town of Lublin, Poland. My mother also sewed and knitted some clothes for herself and her three daughters.

On subsequent visits to Montreal to see my parents, I visited the Jewish Public Library to inve stigate the idea of making a commemorative ark Celia Brauer: Creating Congregation Emanu-El’s Parochet 17 curtain. I found many books on the “art of the synagogue” to support my research. The library also had a great deal of information on the history of Jewish communities in Western Canada. There was more to this story than I first imagined. I sat at a desk in Montreal reading about Jews – some of whom became famous – and Jewish communities all over the West. Starting in the second half of the 19th century, small congregations like that in Victoria had sprouted in many outports of the Empire.

The making of a parochet is mentioned in Exodus 26:31 – “And thou shalt make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cherubim. The work of skillful workmen shall it be made.” I discovered there were prohibitions against shatnetz (mixing linen with wool) and you were not allowed to include “graven images,” which meant people, on works of art. Otherwise, the options were quite open.

The book An American Synagogue for Today and Tomorrow (Union of American Hebrew Congregations, 1954) gave me a lot of inspiration. It explained that “the artist can transcend mere symbol or decorative motif. History demonstrates again and again that symbols change or lose their meaning and mere decora tive motifs soon become dated. What does survive is that indefinable quality: a spirit which a work of art evokes. Upon this men weave their dreams of one-ness. As a source for motifs, the artist has the whole vocabulary of the living forms, which manifests the divine spirit. From here, he can draw principles for the creation of his new forms.” This spoke to me, as I was interested in including, am ong other images, the ancient Jewish symbol of the menorah, relating it to the “tree of life,” the living plant as the source.

I could see that some of the parochet I had seen in present-day synagogues were indeed sometimes “highly decorative.” They were often mail-order items made of blue velvet with the customary gold trim and a Magen David or menorah in the centre. And yet, the books I leafed through in the Jewish Public Library showed photographs of very ornate parochet from old, extant European 18 T H E S C R I B E synagogues on which were dancing many species of animals flanked by columns covered with vines and surrounded by plants. These fabric works were not merely decorative – they told many stories.

The Tanach also stated that the nearer the art object is to the Holy of Holies, the rarer and costlier the materials. This encouraged me to apply for a grant from the Victoria Community Arts Council from which I subsequently received $500 for fabric. Fortunately, I happened to take a trip to Hong Kong in 1980 and was able to purchase Shantung silk to use as the appliqué material. This was particularly lucky as $500 went a long way in Hong Kong. It was a wonderful day when I walked around the fabric section of one of the department stores in Kowloon, picking out large and small sections of this exquisite and very luxurious fabric that has a rich, beautiful sheen. Some Shantung silk has warp and weft threads of different colours, so it has two tones when viewed from different angles. All in all, it was a fabric artist’s dream. And the elderly gentleman who served me was very adept in cutting all the lengths and adding up all the amounts very quickly on an abacus!

Next, I had to get the measurements of the finished ark, which was still a work in progress. The aron kodesh in the shul was to be 10-feet high and seven-feet-six-inches wide, which was a challenge, as I had a small apartment in which to work. However, the flexibility and portability of the fabric made it possible and, halfway through pro- duction, I moved to a bigger rented house in North Vancouver, where I could lay the piece out more easi ly to view it.

I started with unbleached cotton as a backing and took this to the shul to make sure it would fit. Then, I put together the design, slowly, slowly. The menorah idea was sketched quickly in a notebook while at a restaurant in Hong Kong. The coloured bands came next, then the sunset over the mountains. The inclusion of the ocean was important, as Victoria is surrounded on three sides by water.

The local natural environment was indeed rich with a “whole vocab- Celia Brauer: Creating Congregation Emanu-El’s Parochet 19

Moving to a larger house in North Vancouver allowed Celia Brauer to lay out the parochet while working on it. TESY OF CELIA BRAUER CELIA OF PHOTOS COUR TESY

The menorah idea, as sketched in a notebook while at a restaurant in Hong Kong.

The back of the stitching of the menorah as it becomes an image made of silk. 20 T H E S C R I B E ulary of the living forms, which manifests the divine spirit.” Some of my representations of trees, animals, water and landforms followed Jewish themes. Other parts emulated ideas from Emily Carr paintings and the totem poles of the local First Nations that I saw everywhere around Victoria. It made sense to include hints of spiritual and artistic references from these creative works as well as the real world of rainforest, rocky outcrops and expansive waterways on Vancouver Island to give the parochet a sense of place.

On the kaporet (valence), I could be more literal. First, I sewed fabric bricks across the top to depict the original building. Second, in the centre, I made a representation of the historic stained glass window that had been in the original shul, with its bright primary coloursf o red, yellow and blue. Then, I discovered the saying, “Be bold as a leopard, light as an eagle, swift as a deer and strong as a lion, to carry out the will of your Father in heaven,” by Yehudah ben Tema in the Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) and I inscribed it across the kaporet. The statement also gave me an opportunity to add some local animals: two bald eagles – one perched and the other in flight – a cougar sitting peacefully, and a jumping deer similar to the one depicted on the Israeli aerograms I received from my aunt in Tel Aviv.

The actual creation of the piece took a year; occupying the living room floors of two apartments. Each piece of appliquéd fabric – from small to large – was stitched down separately by hand and then edged with fancy yarn. I created the menorah right after I sewed down the background, as it was a key item. This took the better part of a month and, in the middle of this work, John Lennon was murdered in New York City. I can remember hours outlining the gold and orange pieces at the same time as I was listening to countless songs of the Beatles and Lennon on the radio, feeling alternately meditative and sad. The process of sewing while listening to this music was very cathartic. I had been a strong Beatles fan in my youth and Lennon’s death marked the end of an era.

When my work on the parochet was complete, I folded it up and Celia Brauer: Creating Congregation Emanu-El’s Parochet 21 PHOTOS COURTESY OF CELIA BRAUER

A statement from Pirkei Avot – “Be bold as a leopard, light as an eagle, swift as a deer and strong as a lion, to carry out the will of your Father in heaven” – gave the opportunity for Celia Brauer to add some local animals to the parochet, including a cougar and a deer.

took it to a draper in Victoria. He – with the help of a grant from the Victoria Brotherhood – sewed the beige lining on the back and hemmed the parochet and kaporet to make sure they would hang properly.

The first few years that the parochet was in the shul was a period of adjustment, it took a little time for some of the longstanding members of the congregation to become accustomed to the bold colours and strong imagery. It seemed they had become used to less 22 T H E S C R I B E

Celia Brauer working on the parochet in her apartment in Victoria in December 1980. It would take a year to complete. COURTESY OF CELIA BRAUER ornate and less colourful designs. But, as the years have gone by, it appears that the parochet sits more comfortably in the restored building and in the appreciation by the congregants.

The Emanu-El parochet and I spent a great deal of time together. My hands worked many hours sewing its story and my arms carried the folded fabric many times. It is an honour to have this old friend hanging in such a wonderful shul in a city where I lived for three years. May it inspire many in the course of its life in this beautifully restored building. Barbara Pelman: Calling All Artists Project 23

Calling All Artists Project By Barbara Pelman

“I have an idea,” said Rabbi Harry Brechner (or, as he is known, Rabbi Harry), as we began our planning for adult education programs at Congregation Emanu-El in 2004. “What if we bring together some artists – visual artists, poets, musicians – to study a sacred text, and see what interpretations can come from this?” I was interested, too, in the creative pro cess itself: What does it mean to be creative, where do the ideas come from, how does the artist shape and transform the material at hand, how is the process different for each artist?

Rabbi Harry wanted to see what would happen when artists of varied expressive media form a community and study sacred text in an open, supportive, inclusive and inquisitive environment. He imagined muses might be awakened, insights revealed and creations shared. At the least, knowing that his congregation is blessed with many creative artists and writers, he was sure that there would be powerful responses as they brought their gifts of interpretation to the study of sacred Jewish texts.

The Paradise Project 2004-2005

For the first Calling All Artists project, Rabbi Harry chose “The Story of the Four Who Enter the Parde s,” a text ripe with ambiguity and allusion. He stated at the gathering, “I chose ‘The Story of the Four Who Enter the Pardes,’ which is a text that I continue to wrestle with personally as a rabbi and spiritual seeker. I chose this text because I wanted to look at it through new eyes, the eyes of students who are artists. I understand art as midrash on the universe. Midrash is the classical Jewish exegetica l tool – it is how we understand, embellish and flesh out deeper meaning from text.”

Sixteen artists and writers responded to Rabbi Harry’s call. They 24 T H E S C R I B E spent five evenings in study and discussion with the rabbi, and then went off to ponder and create. Later, the artists organized a gala evening, the paintings and fabric work were hung, the poems tacked onto poem boards, the sculpture placed on plinths. Each artist talked about his or her particular creative process in wrestling with this text.

One of the participants, Annie Weeks, a graphic artist, created a chapbook of the artwork and comments from the artists about their process. The gathering was a collage of creative endeavours in many different media and it also forged precious friendships, creating a community of artists, who worked with and inspired each other as they explored the richness of Jewish tradition and culture. In fact, said Rabbi Harry, “through the act of creating, through the process of connection and expression, the artists who participated in the Pardes project have expanded sacred text and, in doing so, have increased Shekhina, God’s presence in our world.”

What was fascinating in the study sessions was what often came out as “sidenotes,” or annotations. In the Paradise project, artists learned that the four letters spelling Pardes also gave the clue to how to study itself: literally, then metaphorically, synthetically and, finally, the mystery. Artists were introduced to the four angels guarding the gates, whose tasks corresponded to the four seasons and the four directions. Everything connects with everything; everything is One.

One of the participants, poet Lorna Crozier, commented on her experience: “The Paradise project introduced me to the Jewish tradition of close examination of a sacred text. I loved being guided into questions and insights by Rabbi Harry. How the whole process respected the word! I felt as if I was in the presence of pure poetry and the meetings with the rabbi and other artists was like coming face-to-face with a room full of terrible and beautiful muses. It was inspirational and it resulted in each of us being tested artistically and intellectually in a profound way. I know of no other project like this one, and the outcome, the exhibit of poems and visual art, was beyond anyone’s expectations. The quality and profundity of the work spoke Barbara Pelman: Calling All Artists Project 25

“Pardes,” acrylic, Isa Milman. “Looking for Pardes,” quilted, Colleen Golumbia.

to the crowd that packed the synagogue to view and listen to the artists’ interpretation of the short, mind-boggling text. This combi- nation of art and spirituality is unique in our province and perhaps in the nation. It brings the sacred, the artistic and the public together in a place of respect and interaction.”

The experience excited much speculation on what might come next, and so the Calling All Artists project was born. Since then, artists interested in learning about mystical Jewish text and working on interpreting that text, have gathered together each year for four or five sessions with the rabbi, and displayed their work at a gala six months later, accompanied by a chapbook/show catalogue. The following years included a study of the first chapter of Ezekiel; a study of dreams, prophecies and visions from the Jewish perspective; an exploration of the first two stories of Bereisheet, Creation; an exploration of death, memory, and the afterlife; and a study of Jewish ritual objects. In the year that Rabbi Harry was in Israel, Rabbi Hanna Tiferet engaged with the artists in a study of the Book of Ruth. 26 T H E S C R I B E

PARADISE by Isa Milman

v’ahavta et adonai bechol nafshecha, with all your soul you love your god, you’ve been commanded, and you want to go to the soul place the orchard pardes its four corners gated each gate assigned a letter pay, resh, daled, samech, each letter a container for a world you think you understand (you’ve worked so hard) Suitcase in hand, you enter it looks just like the pictures but you need to explore, pure marble stones shine like mirrors, but you cannot find your face, only sky, and water water Hints of so much more are pleading for your senses, you are drawn (you’re so excited) to the deepest secret of creation (who could believe such good fortune) but wait you’ve brought the wrong clothes don’t speak the language aren’t really prepared actually you’re scared (you’d rather come back later) but there are no signs for exit Barbara Pelman: Calling All Artists Project 27

The Ezekiel Project 2005-2006

Rabbi Harry chose the first chapter of Ezekiel for its visual appeal and for its frightening depth. The story mystified everyone, but out of the struggle to understand came beautiful poetry, song, photography and painting. The angels with four wings and four faces intrigued the artists, as well as the comment from Rabbi Harry that this was the first vision to come after t he exile from Yisrael. Rabbi Harry commented: “Midrash is not only about about embellishment; it can also be about contraction, tsimsum. I learned through the artists’ sharing of creative work, and the dialogue that focused on process, that the ornamentation of the vision does not need to be an obstacle. Perhaps it is there as protection. We can enter Ezekiel’s vision through the openings found withi n its parts.”

“Ezekiel Talisman Blocks,” mixed media, Jackie Saunders-Ritchie. 28 T H E S C R I B E

The gala for this project, held in May 2006, displayed the work of 17 artists. Ezekiel’s startled eyes – as interpreted by Phyllis Serota – became the cover of the chapbook, again created by Annie Weeks.

“Ezekiel,” Phyllis Serota.

“Ezekiel Encounters the Merkavah,” acrylic, Judith Fischer. Barbara Pelman: Calling All Artists Project 29

Dreams, Prophecies and Visions 2006-2007

This year’s theme was was inspired by Rabbi Harry’s dream of the prophet Joel: “I will pour out My spirit on all flesh; your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.” In the ensuing sessions, Rabbi Harry brought medieval texts, midrashic and biblical excerpts from the prophets concerning dreams, prophesy and visions – and the relationship between them – for the 14 participating artists to chew slowly and digest.

Participants explored the concept that, in our contemporary world, artists fulfill the role of prophets – as purveyors of truth and beauty, and as the mediums for inspiration. Their work is a conduit to gain a glimpse into the divine realm. “It is through expressive arts,” according to Ra bbi Harry, “that we get a taste of transcendence.” The artists learned that a dream contains a part of prophecy – one-sixti- eth, to be exact; that vision comes not through perseverance or study or scholarly dissertation, but through dance and laughter and music, through simcha, joy. In the words of one of the artists, Jackie Saunders-Ritchie, “My journey has been exploring the relationship between dreams and creative inspiration; the communications between the artist and the universe. Understanding that, when we are receptive, we are a conduit, as images, memories and hopes – both realized and lost – pass through us.”

In June 2007, the Dreams, Prophecies and Visions gala opened in the Wings of Peace Gallery in Congregation Emanu-El’s social hall. In one corner of the room was Judith Fischer’s larg e oil painting of Joseph surrounded by his brothers. Rabbi Louis Sutker played one of his lively country and western renditions of the theme on his ukulele; Jackie Saunders-Ritchie had painted five prophets, Melanie Circle had painted four dreams and Phyllis Serota offered a texture- based painting of Joseph’s famous coat. Poems had also been inspired by the topic. 30 T H E S C R I B E

INSTRUCTIONS FOR DREAMING by Barbara Pelman Approach the dream like a lover, scrubbed and empty, hands open:

lie down with blessings, pray for light, a good dream,

one that wakes you in the night with a clear voice, your own,

not one that leads you down a path you have already been on and learned nothing.

Are you ready? Have you bathed in cool water, brushed the day from you, dressed in clean robes? *** Have you learned the stillness at the centre of things,

slow spiral of body to the heart’s core; time blurs as the music rises

in the throat of the sparrow in the branches of the willow, water

at the sand’s edge – your father’s tenor soaring above the choir: hashkivenu

twilight through the stained glass windows, light like a benediction, a hand on your head. *** Will the dead return, in dreams? Disguised as a river, a coyote with mangled fur,

an empty hillside, an attic room in a forgotten mansion, a bird with bent wing? Or as himself

wrapped in a comforter, offering lifesavers and good advice. Descend the stairs

into a stone cavern, butterfly like lace shadowed on the walls.

Watch the wings emerge and flutter, blood through veins, a river of red. *** Barbara Pelman: Calling All Artists Project 31

Every night I lie down and ask the impossible: come back

in your own skin, the moles on your neck your crazy teeth, your white hair –

sleep beside my mother and tell her everything you know. Remind me

how your eyes saw everything good and where I can find you. Show me

what there is to do yet, and how to live in this broken world.

The Creation Project 2007-2008

For the Creation project, Rabbi Harry brought to the table classical midrash, rabbinic exegesis, 16th-century mystical teachings and contemporary philosophy on the topic of the “two creations,” in the first chapters of the Book of Genesis. The 22 participating artists deconstructed order to better understand chaos, wrestled with what it might mean to create (briya) light and form (yetziera) darkness. The artists learned about the difference between these two words: how only God creates (makes something from nothing), while we humans form; that is, we make something from the somethings that are already there.

Participants shared and reflected on the creative process itself and how in so many ways these processes reflect in a microcosm the larger spiritual forces of crea tion in the universe. This year, the completed artwork expanded to include – among other work – wood carving from Graham Dragushan, song lyrics from Rabbi Louis Sutker, collages, lamp-making from Dvora Levin and computer graphics from Annie Weeks. More than any other year, the artists were keenly aware that their work had a spark of the divine in it, having explored how their creative process mirrored the creation of the world. They were more aware of the way in which the spirit moved in their making, to create the artwork that was presented in a June exhibit. 32 T H E S C R I B E

One of the participants, Shoshana Litman, expressed her response to the year’s project: “Calling All Artists [CAA] gave me confidence, support and inspiration as I evolved into Canada’s first ordained maggidah [ Jewish storyteller, preacher and teacher]. During a trip to Israel in 2008, I composed my first song, ‘From Here Let Peace Begin,’ for CAA. This song, which hangs on the synagogue office wall, has become part of one of my key stories, ‘Jerusalem Walk.’”

“Free River,” computer-manipulated photo, Annie Weeks.

Tzedakah box, wood carving, Spalted Western Maple, Graham Dragushan.

“Let Them Be Light,” mixed media, Dvora Levin. Barbara Pelman: Calling All Artists Project 33

The Book of Ruth 2008-2009

As mentioned above, Rabbi Hanna Tiferet Seigel led the Calling All Artists project when Rabbi Harry was in Israel. During this year, the artists gathered each month to engage with the words of the four chapters of the Book of Ruth, sharing insights and perceptions, exploring the many levels of meaning.

Rabbi Hanna chose Ruth because it is one of the few books in the Tanach tha t is not only about a woman, but is told from a woman’s perspective. The story teaches about faith, kindness, courage and determination in the face of adversity and loss. It explores the sense of being “other” and what it means “to belong.” Through the dual themes of harvest and devekut (clinging to the beloved), it is associated with Shavuot, which became the date for the opening of the Book of Rut h project exhibit in the social hall of Congregation Emanu-El.

As in previous years, it was often the case that more artists were involved in the project than actually produced work to display. Sometimes, the artists preferred to let ideas simmer from year to year, and just enjoy the learning. This “dropout rate” was accepted as part of the process, because the creative impulse might take years to ger- minate, and the learning in itself is so rich and rewarding. In the end, 14 artists presented a variety of interpretations – songs, music stands, computer collage, photography, visual art and poetry. Each session began with song and prayer, and finished with a blessing.

Studying the Book of Ruth brought up many paradoxes – how Ruth, a Moabite, usually an enemy of the Israelites, could become the ances- tor of King David; how the affection between two women linked as machatonim (in-laws) could harvest such seeds of loyalty and love. The famous lines from the Book of Ruth – “Whither thou goest I will go, where thou liest I will lie; thy people shall be my people and thy God my God,” often spoken in marriage ceremonies – are the words of Ruth to Naomi, the love of a young woman for her mother-in-law, a connection across tribes and generations, blending differences into a 34 T H E S C R I B E single powerful force, to a wholeness. Many of the artists had their own similar journey – from otherness to belonging, from poverty of spirit to nourishment. In the words of one of the artists, “Faith is required, for the result is always unknown. And, when the work is complete, it is as if I come home again.”

“Homeward,” acrylic and mixed media, Anina Kunstler.

“Wings of Grace,” handmade wool felt, steel wire and synthetic organza, Joanne Circle. Barbara Pelman: Calling All Artists Project 35

Death, Memory, and the Afterlife 2009-2010

When Rabbi Harry returned from Israel, he suggested that the artists create a Yizkor book enriched by art. The theme of the year’s study, therefore, was “Death, Memory, and the Afterlife,” from a compendi- um of insights from the Torah, rabbinical commentaries, folk religions of the shtetls, and Jewish oral tradition.

Memory and remembering are important aspec ts of Jewish life – for example, we say about a loved one who has died, “May his memory be for a blessing.” There is a rabbi’s story that memory is the strongest thing in the universe, since only memory can conquer death. The 22 artists involved in the Yizkor project – members not only of the Jewish community but also the larger community, from Duncan to Victoria – met over the winter months and held a gala exhibit in the fall, before the High Holidays. The resulting chapbook had a dual intent: as a record of the artists’ work and their creative process, and as a book to be used for the Yizkor services during the High Holidays.

Many of the artists responded personally to the theme, offering a remembrance to one of their loved ones. Sherman Rapaport created a painting to honour his friend. He said, “My reaction to the Calling All Artists [project] was very positive. I was able to use the rabbi’s teaching and, working some themes into my painting as a memorial for a valued friend, made the experience doubly valuable to me, and I hope to the community as well.”

The Yizkor book is unique not only in the contribution of the artists but also in the new translations of the Kaddish and other prayers of remembrance by Rabbi Harry. 36 T H E S C R I B E

“Shekhina,” photograph, Allan Mandell.

“Angel with Star of David,” Tobias Tomlinson.

“At the Cemetery,” photograph, Adele Vernon. Barbara Pelman: Calling All Artists Project 37

CONSOLATIO by Judith Belton

In winter, (Zachor et yom Shabbat), there can be, below the three-starred sky, fringed cedar scales pressed, flat and resinous, between thumb and fingers and lifted to the nose; and in the fall, cinnamon, with a curled reminder of apples, can ease the way back into hectic, ticking time, even better than overflowing wine;

but, in summer, as you return to necessary physical tasks, th e garden itself can open in the dark to comfort, with the most ethereal of the senses, the newly untwinned soul. Fingers, hunting and pulling weeds in the plant boxes, stir rosemary’s noble smell. Citrus-scented hands of lemon balm play on the gardener’s effort-bowed back. Lavender spikes and sage arrows make fragrant riffs on flexing calf and shin. There is spicy thyme under bare feet and savoury oregano beside the gathered roses. Even the earth, which you lift in a handful to breathe, has a nourished aroma, recalling to you the lasting sweetness of the day completed; reminding you of the goodly breath of inspired labor; reminding you of the pleasing odor of healing deeds. 38 T H E S C R I B E

THE OBITUARY PAGE by Louise Crossgrove

Their pictures tell the story of how they lived and laughed; row upon row they stare out at a world they no longer see.

Sometimes their stories tell us of valiant deeds and successes; more often it is of the grief that is left as legacy.

Great feats that took a lifetime to accomplish are listed as an homage of honour for the one who has passed on.

The newspaper’s solemn tributes ask us to look at our own life; to review what we have achieved during our sojourn on this earth.

Time is as fleeting as the wind, and who knows when it will be our image gracing the pages of sorrow and memories.

This sheet of silent testaments folded now to encompass the contents of a litter box, without ritual, is thrown out. Barbara Pelman: Calling All Artists Project 39

Reinventing Ritual 2011

The idea of “reinventing ritual” came from a book by Daniel Belasco and a subsequent exhibit at the Jewish Museum in New York, inspir- ing the 15 Calling All Artists participants to reconsider various ritual objects and the traditions from which they sprang.

With Rabbi Harry leading the study sessions, artists explored mystical texts, rabbinic commentaries, and folk traditions concerning Shabbat, Havdalah, the tallis and tefillin, the mezuzah, the Kiddush cup, the menorah and other sacred objects. The artists learned about the different categories of ritual objects: those that are holy in themselves, those that are used to fulfill a mitzvah, and objects used for holy purposes. Another important learning was the relationship between blessing and action, which is the reason behind covering the eyes while lighting the Shabbat candles. The year’s gala, which was held before the High Holidays, offered many reinterpretations of ritual, including artist blessing cards, a variety of ceramic mezuzot, photographs of shofars and the Tashlikh ceremony, even a sculpture of the seder plate.

A comment from one of the participants, Louise Crossgrove, summa- rizes many of the responses artists felt at the end of each session: “Each year, as I explored and tasted the concepts presented in topics like creation, memories and death, Ruth and Naomi’s journeys of the soul, rituals new and old, I felt I took a leap of faith in my own ability to bring into being something of beauty that reflects hints of my own journey of spirit. I am very grateful for the opportunity to be part of such fertile and generative projects. My spiritual life has been fertilized with ideas and knowledge through my association with other artists, and exposure to the rich commentary presented by the rabbi. I don’t think I am alone in these experiences. The resultant artwork has enriched the whole community, as people came together to view paintings, carvings, pottery, read poems and sing songs.” 40 T H E S C R I B E

“Shofar,” photograph, Lisa Tyler.

Ritual blessing cards, Jackie Saunders-Ritchie.

“Finding Home,” Mezuzot, ceramic, Devy Stone. Tobias Tomlinson. Barbara Pelman: Calling All Artists Project 41

MY FATHER’S TEFILLIN by Barbara Pelman

On a shelf in his closet, unused in the five years he’s been gone – the smell of his skin still faint in the leather. Mornings in the chapel he would wind the leather seven times, the batim close to his heart, the scroll inside:

and you shall bind them as a sign upon your hand and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.

The small shel rosh on his forehead, on his third eye, the leather crossing where the optic chiasm sits deep in the brain, where the eye messages cross and intertwine. How much ancient wisdom, each winding of the strap pulsing against meridians, the power points of chakras, head and heart. How carefully the tefillin connects mind and eye, nerves and feelings through the four-pronged shin:

and you shall lov e your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.

“It’s a good tefillin,” the rabbi tells me, examining the straps, the little boxes. “They don’t make them that small anymore.” Like my father, small and neat. I imagine him, thirteen years old, his first tallis, Rabbi Pastinsky instructing him, “First you wind the leather around your left arm seven times. Then the shel rosh on your forehead, be careful where you place it. Back to your arm, around the palms of your hand, around your fingers— like a wedding ring:

and I will betroth you to me with righteousness, justice, kindness, and mercy. I will betroth you to me with fidelity, and you shall know Hashem. 42 T H E S C R I B E

See, there is another shin and the four points of the daled, like a door at the nape of your neck, plus the yud here – together they form Shaddai, one of God’s holy names. Put on tefillin, and God will hear you.”

There is no one in the family to inherit our father’s tefillin. No one to place the leather near his heart, to carry the mitzvah to the next generation. His sons do not go to shul, their praye rs are mute and private. They did not see him, alone in the chapel, the Ner Tamid shaking the corners with light, his peaceful conversation with God.

I keep my father alive in me with music, my fingers on the piano keys, the flute’s silver buttons. I go to the synagogue, wear his tallis. Will I put on his tefillin? Twist the straps – supple from the oil of my father’s skin – around my arm, murmur ancient prayers? Some believe that tefillin are for men only. They say women are already connected to God. Yet Rashi’s daughter wore tefillin. Women rabbis bind themselves to God with leather and tzitzis.

If I bind my arm, if I place the batim between my eyes, feel the bindings against the back of my neck, around my fingers, the four prongs of the shin like holy antennae – will I hear the voice of Shekhina, my father gently guiding me, will I fall on my knees, will I bend, bow, will I listen – at last? Barbara Pelman: Calling All Artists Project 43

Anniversary Year Gala

The Calling All Artists project has been transformational for many of the participants. Friendships have been formed, collaborations have been explored, and the artists have connected with a piece of learning that has made a difference in their lives. In fact, the project won the Solomon Schechter Award for adult education programming in 2007 from the United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism.

The project has reconvened for another year, to grapple with simcha another topic presented by Rabbi Harry: the Akeida, or the Binding of Isaac. Artists will study on this theme over the winter and spring, culminating in a gala show and a chapbook highlighting their work and comments. The gala in the fall of 2013 will be part of the major celebratory events of Congregation Emanu-El’s 150th anniversary year.

*All of the images in this section were provided by the artists.

Jordan Stanger-Ross: Discovering the History of the 20th Century 45

DISCOVERING THE HISTORY OF THE 20TH CENTURY By Jordan Stanger-Ross

June 2, 1963, ought to have been a momentous day for the oldest synagogue in Canada. On that date, the shul at the corner of Blanshard and Pandora turned 100, its members still gathering regularly in the original sanctuary. The congregation traced its origins to the birth of the City of Victoria and the Province of British Columbia. Its members had been more important to the early history of their city than their co-religionists anywhere else in the country. The congregation had persevered through its lowest point in the mid-century and, with 82 members and 30 schoolchildren, was poised to launch successfully into its second century.1 In the summer of 1963, Congregation Emanu-El could view itself as a living historic landmark of some import ance.

Yet, the day passed with hardly a whisper. A lonely fundraising memo in 1963 reminded the membership that “it is 100 years since the doors of our congregation were opened,” and that only the ongoing support of membership could “assure that our doors are maintained open for all time.”2 Besides this exhortation: nothing. The centenary was never publicly celebrated. The records show no trace of special committees, anniversary volumes or commemorative events. On May 13, 1963, Morris Greene, the outgoing president of the congregation, reported on the year’s activities without mention of the anniversary. At the end of the month, the synagogue’s board organized for the upcoming screening of Sinatra in Israel, a social event for the congregants, rather than the historic milestone then approaching. By June 1963, the board was focused on meeting the challenges of the near future – securing a rabbi to lead the High Holiday services and hiring a teacher for the Sunday school – rather than celebrating the glories of the past.3

The archives contain hints that the congregants were mindful of the synagogue’s place in history. The synagogue played a limited role in the 46 T H E S C R I B E

1958 centenary celebrations of the founding of the province by making, in December 1957, a donation of its earliest records to the British Columbia Archives.4 In June of the next year, as preparations were being made for more public memorialization, the synagogue members voted to refrain from further participation.5 However, they did offer reminders, at least to some private audiences, of the history of the shul. For example, during his 1958 visit to the shul, Dr. W.G. Black, the regional liaison officer of the Department of Citizenship and Immigration, was educated about the institution’s past. In a letter of thanks for his tour of the synagogue, Black remarked that, “It was quite a unique experience for us to meet in your synagogue last week, the oldest synagogue in British Columbia.... I was especially impressed with the beauty and simplicity of your altar.”6 Beyond private tours and quiet contributions, however, the historic institution made little of its own history.7

Almost 50 years later, the record of these events (or, indeed, non-events) was stashed variously around the synagogue. A dusty pile outside of the rabbi’s study, shelves in the deepest recess of the basement and boxes nestled among discarded preschool toys contained the record of the synagogue’s 20th century. Nineteenth- century records – stories of Jewish pioneers and founding families – remained publicly accessible at the British Columbia Archives and, to a lesser extent, in the Special Collections of the University of Victoria, but the history of the 20th century, when the synagogue struggled but persevered, continued to be neglected.

The decades after 1963, however, had been kind to Congregation Emanu-El. In 1981, in the wake of a celebration of its 125th anniversary, the congregation refurbished and rededicated its sanctuary, affixing to its exterior the claim that it was the oldest in Canada. By the first decade of the 21st century, the membership had grown to more than 200 “family units,” the Hebrew school had increased in size, and the building itself had grown with the completion of a significant addition. By 2012, Rabbi Harry Brechner, permanently ensconced at the shul, rather than an import for the Jordan Stanger-Ross: Discovering the History of the 20th Century 47

High Holidays, could rightfully speak at Rosh Hashanah of a small but powerful Jewish community hub in Victoria.

Institutional resurgence laid the foundation for an initiative to locate and adequately house the 20th-century records of the shul. As the community organized for the 150th anniversary, congregants began to take notice of the boxes scattered around the synagogue. Commemoration of the whole h istory of the congregation required access to records that had, for half a century at least, been held in little apparent regard. As a professional historian, I was drafted into the effort. Under the able supervision of Ed Fitch, co-chair of the committee organizing the 150th celebration, I helped steer the process that led to their donation, in the spring of 2012, to the Jewish Museum and Archives of British Columbia ( JMABC), in Vancouver.

The records are extensive and some of them delicate. They comprise 17 large boxes, each densely packed with dozens of folders. They contain: core operational records, such as minutes, membership lists, board correspondence, financial records, and documents pertaining to the school and cemetery; the records of major projects, including the restoration and then the renovation of the synagogue; and various miscellaneous materials, such as synagogue publications, scrapbooks, directories, photographs and A-V recordings in formats long since obsolete. An additional box contains records of the Sylvester family, one of the founding families of the congregation. The collection is most useful for telling the story of the synagogue since the 1930s, and it is particularly rich for the period after the 1950s.

After a cursory perusal of the records, Ed and I were convinced that the synagogue was not in a position to organize the materials, to safely store them or to provide the space for public access. Early in my career, I had the disheartening experience of a poorly preserved and delicate document crumbling in my hands as I tried to examine it. (It was a soldier’s letter home from the American Civil War front. So far as I could tell, I was the first to break the envelope’s seal.) I did 48 T H E S C R I B E not want that fate for the history of the shul. Archival material is best handled by professionals.

The professionals were interested. Jennifer Yuhasz, archivist at the JMABC, suggested that we integrate our records into their large collection on Jewish life in the province. Kathryn Bridge at the archives of British Columbia made a compelling argument for incorporating the material into their exist ing collection on the synagogue, and made the generous offer to release their existing holdings to the JMABC, should we decide to consolidate all of our records there (we are planning to do so). Archivists at University of Victoria also expressed interest in the records, which would complement their existing collections on community organizations.

Our eventual decision to send the material to Vancouver merits some explanation. After all, the synagogue had persisted in Victoria despite the gravitational pull of the Lower Mainland, which had drawn so many families away as its growth exceeded that on the Island. Had the records of that effort now somehow betrayed the people who created them, succumbing to the ineluctable pull of Vancouver? On a more practical level, the present and future congregant s have the most right to and likely the most interest in the records; moving the boxes to Vancouver made them less accessible to the membership. What, then, justified this choice by the Congregation Emanu-El board?

In part, an ambitious digitization process reassured us that the records would remain accessible in Victoria. An offer from the University of Victoria will allow some core records to be digitized even before they are shipped to Vancouver. Many thanks are owed to Ken Cooley, the associate librarian, and Lara Wilson, university archivist, for making their facility and staff available for these purposes. Once in Vancouver, the JMABC will continue the digitization of the records. This process means that synagogue members, as well as a wider researching public, will have access to the records from their homes. Jordan Stanger-Ross: Discovering the History of the 20th Century 49

With this process in place, we could choose the archives most likely to make the records accessible to the largest number of researchers. To a large extent, this means also making the records accessible to people who are not looking for them. Given the power of online archival search engines, researchers specifically seeking the records of Congregation Emanu-El will find them, whatever their location. But where would a researcher, interested in tangentially related topics, be likely to stumble into the existence of the synagogue? Where might an archivist be likely to prod a researcher into consideration of Congregation Emanu-El? How might the oldest synagogue in Canada find its way into undergraduate papers, graduate theses, and even books on the history of Jewish life in Canada and North America, the province of British Columbia and religious diversity in Canada? We came to the conclusion that the Jewish Museum and Archives of British Columbia, where the synagogue would play a key role in the larger collection, was the most likely to fulfill this goal. The archives will draw in researchers with broad interests in Jewish and religious history. While there, they’ll find their way to Congregation Emanu-El. Or so we hope.

When researchers do stumble into the records of Congregation Emanu-El, they will discover an important history. The boxes that were, until recently, scattered around the synagogue have powerful stories to tell. The 20th-century history of the synagogue pushes beyond heroic founding families to a complicated and difficult past. For congregations outside of major centres, the 20th century was often a time of perseverance. In Victoria, the story is unique and especially poignant because of the historic status of the synagogue; the failure of Congregation Emanu-El would have had particular significance. But our past is also typical of a broader story. Twentieth-century religious pluralism has not been simple. The survival of Jewish institutions in places like Victoria was never a given, nor was the willingness of Jews to celebrate themselves in public. In answering questions about our shul, researchers will be addressing important and sweeping questions. Canadians continue to confront questions of religious accommodation and pluralism. As we do so, 50 T H E S C R I B E our past can offer indispensable guidance. The records of the oldest synagogue in the country are now positioned to take their rightful place in that history.

ENDNOTES

1. This membership total is derived from Membership Dues List, 1962-1963, Folder: Minute Book 1956-1963, 1 of 2, Box 6, Congregation Emanu-El Temporary Archival Arrangement [September 2012]; the number for school children is derived fro m Letter from J. Angel to Reverend E. Klein, November 13, 1963, Folder: Minute Book 1956-1963, 1 of 2, Box 6, Congregation Emanu-El Temporary Archival Arrangement [September 2012]. 2. To the Members of Congregation Temple Emanuel, Minute Book 1956-1963, Folder 1 of 2, Box 6, Congregation Emanu-El Temporary Archival Arrangement. [September 2012]. 3. President’s Report May 13, 1963, Minute Book 1956-1 963, Folder 1 of 2, Box 6, Congregation Emanu-El Temporary Archival Arrangement [September 2012]; Minutes of Meeting of the Board, May 29 and June 13, 1963, Emanu-El Minutes 1963-1971, Box 6, Congregation Emanu-El Temporary Archival Arrangement [September 2012]. 4. Letter to Provincial Archives from Secretary Treasurer, December 17, 1957, Folder: Emanu-El 1962 Correspondence-1955-1963, 3 of 3, Box 2, Co ngregation Emanu-El Temporary Archival Arrangement [September 2012]. 5. Minutes of the Annual General Meeting, June 9, 1958, Emanu-El Minutes 1963-1971, Box 6, Congregation Emanu-El Temporary Archival Arrangement [September 2012]. This withdrawal was conditional. Fuller research into the events of 1958 might reveal that the Jewish community played a role in the proceedings in Victoria. 6. Letter from W.G. Black to Mr. J. Greene, February 3, 1958, Folder: Emanu-El 1962 Correspondence-1955-1963, 3 of 3, Box 2, Congregation Emanu-El Temporary Archival Arrangement [September 2012]. 7. The failure of the congregation to celebrate its own past should not be mistaken for a “sign of the times.” On the contrary, Victorians had organized to celebrate the centenary of the province in 1958 (at that time, Jew s in the province formed a Jewish centenary committee) and of the city in 1962; a few years later, they would gather en masse to memorialize Canadian Confederation. Members of the congregation lived in a city mindful of its history. For a discussion of the importance of historical commemoration in this period of B.C. history, see Mia Reimers, “B.C. at its Most Sparkling, Colourful Best”: Post-war P rovince Building through Centennial Celebrations, PhD Thesis, University of Victoria, 2007. Cyril E. Leonoff: The Emanu-El of Victoria, Vancouver Island 51

THE EMANU-EL OF VICTORIA, VANCOUVER ISLAND By Cyril E. Leonoff*

The Beginnings of Victoria

Fort Victoria, on the southeast tip of Vancouver Island, was established as a fur-trading post and supply farm of the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1843. In 1850, the British government dispatched a colonial governor, who declared the Crown Colony of Vancouver Island. Nevertheless, the population remained sparse.

Between 1857 and 1863, gold discoveries on the Fraser River and its tributaries, and subsequently greater finds in the interior region of the mainland, brought in the first substantial white population of some 35,000. As a result, a second Crown Colony, named British Columbia, was created in November 1858. In 1866, the colonies united and, in 1871, joined the Canadian Confederation. Gold finds continued in the north until the last great gold rush to the Klondike River, Yukon Territory, peaked from 1898 to 1901.1

Among the first boatloads of gold-seekers alighting at Victoria from San Francisco in the spring and summer of 1858 were a handful of Jews. Most were small-scale merchants sensing to make a good living from a pioneer settlement in a booming economy. Of central European origins – Polish/Prussian /Germanic – they had arrived from California where they had been in trade and commerce associated with the earlier gold rush and settlement there. They were already acculturated to American business, society and language before arriving in Victoria. Their businesses also fanned out into the towns, where they were vital to the mining economy.2

*This article is largely an amalgamation of previous articles written by the author and published in a variety of publications, including The Scribe and Western States Jewish History, along with new research using documents recently donated to the Jewish Historical Society of British Columbia by John Keenlyside. 52 T H E S C R I B E

On August 29, 1858, according to a “Religious Notice” in the Victoria Gazette, a meeting to secure a location for High Holidays services and other community business was held at Kady Gambitz’s store, “by order of Charles Davis” – those selected to find the space were Davis (chairman pro tem), Abraham Blackman (secretary) and J. Goldsmith (treasurer, pro tem) – and these first public Jewish services held in the Pacific Northwest were reported in Jewish newspapers as far away as New York and San Francisco.3

The Jewish Community Organizes, 1859-62

Of this initiating group, Kady Gambitz, Victoria’s first dry goods and drapery merchant, had arrived a month earlier from Nevada City. There, he had been president of the Jewish Benevolent Society. Abraham Blackman, an ironmonger and stove dealer, had come from St ockton, Calif., where he had served as vice-president and lay leader of the synagogue, and was also active in the Ancient Order of the Kesher Shel Barzel, a Polish Jewish men’s organization. These and other founders then went on to organize, on June 5, 1859, the First Victoria Hebrew Benevolent Society, with Blackman as president,4 and, on February 5, 1860, to consecrate the Jewish cemetery on Cedar Hill Road,5 both firsts in Western Canada.

An 1861 attempt to formally establish a Jewish congregation failed.

A photo taken in 1972 of the gates of the Jewish cemetery in Victoria, B.C., which was consecrated PHOTOGRAPHER: CYRIL E. LEONOFF; JMABC L.00886 in 1860. Cyril E. Leonoff: The Emanu-El of Victoria, Vancouver Island 53

However, on August 15, 1862, the first official meeting was convened at the Star and Garter Hotel, which was operated by a Jew, Lewis Davis. A committee on subscriptions, composed of merchant David Shirpser and camphene dealer Aaron Simson, reported on “The necessity of erecting a tabernacle of God, [with] hopes that our efforts might be crowned with success, [through] generosity displayed by liberal don ations.”6 The report stated that the “Committee had bought a parcel of ground suitable in all respects for $730.” The purchase of the site, at what is now the southeast corner of Blanshard Street and Pandora Avenue in downtown Victoria, was transacted through Franklin and Co., Auctioneers and Land Agents.7

Liverpool-born brothers Selim and Lumley Franklin were among the most prominent citizens of Vi ctoria. When Selim Franklin came to the city from San Francisco, he established business as a realtor and auctioneer – in 1859, he was appointed government auctioneer.8 He also was the first Jew to sit in a legislature in British North America9 and he chaired the Vancouver Island Exploring Expedition of 1864 – Franklin River, flowing into Alberni Canal, was named after him.10 His older brother, Lumley, joined him in the auction business, and Lumley Franklin became the first Jewish mayor of a city in British North America when he was elected as mayor of Victoria in 1866 (the city became incorporated in 1862).11 While the Franklins never took office in the congregation, Franklin and Co. subscribed $100 to the building fund.12

The First Officers, August 15, 1862

At Congregation Emanu-El’s founding meeting , David Shirpser was called to the chair – becoming the first president of the first synagogue in Western Canada – and Abraham Hoffman appointed secretary, pro tem. The three Shirpser brothers were general dealers and commission merchants in Victoria; Hoffman and his brother, Samuel, were merchants in Victoria and in Barkerville, the heart of British Columbia’s gold country.13 54 T H E S C R I B E

In the ensuing weeks and months, meetings L.00298 JMABC were held to organize the congregation, elect officers and draft a constitution and bylaws. In the fall of 1862, on recommendation of the synagogue committee, temporary quarters were rented in Smith’s Hall at $27.50/month; the committee was also authorized to purchase plain benches at $2.50 apiece, the board reject- ing upholstered ones at $5 – prices of seats were fixed at $2.50 for members and $5 for strangers.14 The messenger was allowed $15 for Abraham Hoffman, first secretary of Emanu-El his services during the holy days and $5 per Synagogue, 1863. month for the future.15 Mr. Newman, the shochet (ritual slaughterer), was awarded $15 per month and five percent of the monies collected for killing meat.16 Abraham Blackman, the treasurer by that time, was appointed to procure a “proper Colonial Charter or Incorporation Act.”17

In November 1862, Hoffman reported to the board of trustees and congregation members:

The first three months of our existence are gliding on the wings of time.... The roll of the congregation at the commencement of this term numbered 19 – which number has since increased to 40 – 3 or 4 of whom however are doubtful.... The pecuniary affairs of the congregation are very flourishing considering the great expense that was incurred in fitting out the place of worship for the holy days.... The expenses ... will hereafter be greatly reduced in as much as the board has let the Hall to a German singing society for two nights a week.18

Another early act of the congregation was to elect Baron Nathaniel Mayer Rothschild and Sir Moses Montefiore as honorary members. As secretary, Hoffman was instructed to info rm these gentlemen of their election and of the plans to build a synagogue.19 The motive likely was to elicit financial support, but none was forthcoming. Cyril E. Leonoff: The Emanu-El of Victoria, Vancouver Island 55

Through these men, however, the developing Victoria congregation came to the attention of Dr. Nathan M. Adler, chief rabbi of the British Empire, in London, England, whose mandate extended throughout the British colonies. Adler addressed a letter to the president of the Victoria congregation20 and enclosed a pastoral letter that he circulated among all the Hebrew congregations in the colonies:

Although you have not to my surprise communicated to me the fact of your having established a congregation, still I have supported your request, feeling great delight in the religious zeal that has prompted you to erect a house of worship to the God of Israel. I hope that you will attend to the other religious wants in a young community, which have been detailed in the accompanying pastoral, and that you wi ll give me the necessary information regarding the status of your congregation.21

Hoffman replied apologetically, “We humbly crave your pardon for the apparent neglect in not addressing you forthwith, and the only excuse I can plead is ignorance ... of our congregation the most ... of whom having lived so long on American soil have forgotten this courtesy.” The letter went on to give a full account of the state of the congregation, and the secretary took the opportunity to point out that they had “exhausted every available resource, and still there is a deficit in our fund to the amount of $5,000.”22 A later attempt was made to solicit Adler’s help in reducing the congregation’s debts, but no funds were offered.

At the regular quarterly meeting, held on June 29, 1863, the subscription (fundraising) c ommittee gave “a full account of their labours to date, showing that the amount subscribed had reached to the sum of $4,905.85, the amount collected $3,689.95, leaving a balance of $1,215.90 yet to be collected of which amount $200 was bad and doubtful.”23 They further stated that “their task was a very arduous one.” The handwritten subscription list, yet extant, shows that 212 individuals and companies pledged amounts ranging from $2.50 to $150; among contributors were many non-Jews.24 56 T H E S C R I B E

The Building Committee

The board meeting of November 30, 1862, appointed a building committee of five, “whose duty it shall be to have a place of worship erected according to the wishes of the congregation” – they were instructed to “have plans drawn up for a synagogue 40 x 70 [feet].”25 In addition to the land that had been purchased for the synagogue, the February 1, 1863, minutes of the board of tru stees monthly meeting show that the congregation had purchased an adjacent “parcel of ground,”26 which would eventually be home to the Hebrew Ladies’ Hall, then the synagogue’s school facility.

But first, the synagogue. By January 1863, the committee had engaged the architectural firm of Wright and Sanders, and reported that “they had adopted a plan for the synagogue which was very excellent and beautiful and in every [way] suitable for our purposes.”27 Scottish-born John Wright, architect and engineer, who had arrived in 1859, is reputed to have been the first design professional to practice in Victoria. Later, the firm was acclaimed for its famous Nob Hill residences in San Francisco; most of those structures were destroyed in the great earthquake and fire of 1906.28 The contract for building the synagogue was awarded to D.O. Stevens “for the sum of $8750 complete.”29 The total cost ended up being $9,196.60.30

Laying the Foundation Stone, June 2, 1863

Russian-born Meyer Malowanski, a Hebrew scholar and member of the building committee, was appointed master of ceremonies for the ceremony of laying the synagogue’s cornerstone.

The congregation invited all the ethnic groups to participate in the event, and the Masonic fraternity was invited to lay the foundation stone.31 It is no happenstance that laying of the foundation stone of the Victoria synagogue was done by the Masons and that they have continued to celebrate this historic event with the congregation on Cyril E. Leonoff: The Emanu-El of Victoria, Vancouver Island 57 other occasions. When the Victoria Lodge was organized in August 1860, six of the 21 members were Jews and two of them held office.32 Alexander Phillips – the first Jew recorded to reach the British colony (in 1858), proprietor of Pioneer Soda and Mineral Water Works, and the second president of Congregation Emanu-El – was founding treasurer of this lodge.33 However, a “lengthy and exciting” debate ensued when Orthodox members of the congregation questioned the propriety of non-Jews laying the cornerstone of the synagogue, a religious building, so a compromise was reached: it was decided that two cornerstones would be laid, one by Malowanski, assisted by members of the congregation, and the other by the Masons.34

Tuesday, June 2, 1863, the laying of the foundation stone was a gala event for Victoria . The ceremony had been scheduled for Monday, but was postponed by a heavy fall of rain. According to the news coverage, on Tuesday, the sun “shone bright” and, at 2 p.m., Congregation Emanu-El, led by president David Shirpser and vice-president Samuel Hoffman, was met at its rented rooms by the band of Her Majesty’s Ship Topaze and the Germania Sing Verein. Proceeding to the Star and Garter Hotel, they were joined by the Hebrew Benevolent, French Benevolent and St. Andrew’s societies. The procession then marched to the Masonic Hall, where they received the “Fraternity of Ancient and Honourable Order of Freemasons of Victoria and Vancouver [Island] Lodges, led by Right Worshipful Master Robert Burnaby.”35

Mayor Thomas Harris, with the city council, and Chief Justice David Cameron marched in the procession . Each of the societies was characterized by its “peculiar badges,” presenting a “most imposing appearance.” The procession “extended over several hundred feet of ground, and was followed by a host of citizens.” Led by the band, “which played some excellent marches in their masterly style,” the parade reached the site of the projected synagogue at about 3 p.m. There were three platforms, one f or the Masons, one for members of the congregation and the societies, and one for the ladies, “who were out in full force.” 58 T H E S C R I B E

When all were seated, Malowanski read a prayer in Hebrew and Hoffman, on behalf of the congregation, delivered an address about what an accomplishment it was to build a synagogue in what was, only years earlier, a relative wilderness. He was followed by Judah P. Davies who, referring to the ancient days when their Masonic ancestors were operative Masons in the actual construction of great buildings, observe d that “it was now 2,675 years since the Temple of Solomon was built ... and was [according to Davies] the first instance since then of the ancient order of Masons ... taking part in laying the foundation stone of a Jewish edifice.”

Malowanski laid the first stone, the Sing Verein sang and the principal architect, John Wright, then spoke, after which a vellum scroll in a hermetically sealed bottle was deposited in the hollow stone, stating the date of the ceremony, the names of the two lodges and the names and ranks of those Freemasons taking part. The cement was applied with an inscribed silver trowel, the stone lowered and Burnaby declared it to be “plumb, level and square,” and then exhorted, “May this building be carried on successfully until the completion, according to the plans, in p rayer, harmony and brotherly love.”

In a letter home to his mother in England, Burnaby wrote of “a grand Ceremonial at which I presided as Grand Master of the Freemasons laying the foundation stone of a Synagogue.” Then he expressed his prejudice: “I wish it had been a church: but we cannot pick and choose as Masons.” Nevertheless, he conceded, “they gave me a very handsome silver trowel.”36

The British Colonist newspaper devoted a large part of its next issue to report the ceremony, concluding:

Thus terminated an eventful day in the history of the Jews in Vancouver Island and it must be a source of infinite gratifica- tion to that body, that the ceremonies of this day, partaking as they did of an exclusively denominational character, were participated in by all classes of our community, with a hearty good Cyril E. Leonoff: The Emanu-El of Victoria, Vancouver Island 59

will and brotherly feeling, evidencing in acts more powerful than words, the high estimation in which they are held by their fellow townsmen of the city of Victoria.37

The Style of the Synagogue

In Victoria, architect John Wright had designed two earlier wood churches in the Gothic-Revival style. However, for Emanu-El, he chose the Richardsonian-Romanesque style, common to synagogues in Europe and in the early Jewish settlements of North America. Apparently, through a Phillips family connection, he had consulted with Eastern American colleagues, as the Victoria synagogue bears a striking resemblance to Mickvé Israel of Philadelphia (1859) and B’nai Israel of Baltimore (1876). The latter survives today as part of a Jewish heritage centre and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

For Emanu-El, a nine-bay interior plan, with a central hemispheri- cal sky-lighted dome, is supported on four tall columns. The ark at the east wall is fronted by the bimah, and the women’s mezzanine galleries are located on the north, west and south sides. The detailed 9: 673 PHOTOGRAPHER: FREDRICK DAL LY;FREDRICK PHOTOGRAPHER: L.06630 BC JMA JEWISH ENC YCLOPEDIA FROM FUNK AND WAGNALLS, Above: Emanu-El Synagogue, circa 1866-1870. Left: The Victoria synagogue bears a striking resemblance to Mickvé Israel of Philadelphia, which was built in 1859. 60 T H E S C R I B E brick exterior is enhanced by three round-arched doors in the main western façade, surmounted by a rose window under the gabled roof. Round-headed windows complete the design. Restoration architect Nicholas R. Bawlf described the success of the building: “John Wright excelled himself, because his design is a remarkably elegant composi- tion of all these elements on a scale commensurate with the needs of a small Jewish congregation.”38

Engaging the First Rabbi

Consecration of the synagogue was set for Sunday, September 13, 1863.39 Dr. Morris R. Cohen, an Orthodox rabbi recruited by Abraham Blackman to lead the congregation, gave the sermon.40 Cohen, born in Poland in 1827, had emigrated to the United States mid-century, where he occupied a pulpit in Sacramento.41

Cohen, who conducted the High Holy Day serv ices a few days later, was also contracted for other tasks: “To read all prayers on Sabbath days, as well as Holy Days ... give the children [of ] members religious instructions ... kill cattle as often as the butcher shall require ... also ... kill fowls for members ... deliver lectures whenever convenient and conduct the divine service according to the orders of the board, [and] that he shall have no right to leave the city unless by permission of the board.”42

He was engaged for two years at a salary of $150/month,43 which was later renegotiated: “The Congregation is willing to hand over to you their List of Subscribers towards the Minister ... at present about $135 per month ... also ... the butcher’s income, all of which you have to collect yourself.”44

In 1865, Matthew Macfie, an Anglo resident of Victoria at this time, wrote: “The Jews have erected a synagogue, and are presided over by an intelligent and respectable rabbi. It is not to the honour of Christians that this should be the most costly religious structure in Cyril E. Leonoff: The Emanu-El of Victoria, Vancouver Island 61 the place, and the only one made of brick, the others being of wood ... or of corrugated iron.”45

A Hebrew Education

The “Jewish school question” first arose, as reported in a British Jewish newspaper in February 1862, when the members of the Jewish community were reported to “have in a body withdrawn their children from public school in consequence of the attempt made by the teaching staff – members of the Church of England – to seduce them from the religion of their fathers.”46

This situation was alleviated when Rabbi Morris Cohen arrived and taught a Sabbath Hebrew school. In a letter of November 1863 to the synagogue president, the rabbi was very critical of “religious affairs” in the community as he found them, noting, among other things, the need for regularly scheduled, properly conducted services and prayers appropriate for “the present age, [which] will not only teach them [congregants] to know the difference between the kernel and the shell, and thereby appreciate the time they there spend, but it will give them a wholesome taste for the religious instruction they may receive at their daily School. The present age demands of us some improvement in our Religious affairs, and unless some ste ps are taken in the matter, I feel that all your labour and concerns in erecting so Noble an Edifice, as also my humble endeavours to advance its progress, will prove ‘Labour in vain.’”47 Cohen called for a congregational meeting, of which there is no known record.

On April 7, 1864, a notice of motion by Selim Franklin, chair of a select committee on education, was tabled in the House of Assembly of Vanco uver Island for the establishment in Victoria of public schools and the provision of public education “conducted upon strictly non-sectarian principles.”48

There followed months of public debate, which grappled with the 62 T H E S C R I B E problem of religious instruction. It wasn’t until April 12, 1865, that the Bill Respecting Common Schools, containing the clause “Every Common School shall be open to the children of persons of all denominations,” carried and, in due course, was enacted into law.49

A Colonial Charter

On July 7, 1864, an act to incorporate “The Emanuel of Victoria, Vancouver Island” was promulgated by “The Governor on Her Majesty’s behalf, by and with the consent and advice of the Legislative

On July 7, 1864, “The Emanuel of Victoria, Vancouver Island” was incorporated. Cyril E. Leonoff: The Emanu-El of Victoria, Vancouver Island 63

Council and assembly of Vancouver Island,” with the object of “carrying into effect the fulfillment of the Ordinances of the Israelitish persuasion according to the orthodox order.”50 This document not only legalized the congregation but also confirmed its Orthodox denomination, which was favoured because the majority of the congregation and its officers were of Polish and British descent, whose ances try was Orthodox. This was in contrast to the new Reform movement, which had been carried by German immigrants to the United States and was taking root in California at the time.

In the Orthodox congregation, the women played only an auxiliary role and took no official part in the religious services or on the board. However, once the synagogue was completed, then came the task of paying its indebtednes s. The congregation of 59 members (only men were counted) owed a mortgage of $3,500 (at one and three-quarter percent interest) and a further debt of $1,652.51 The effort to reduce the debt began with the First Annual Ball of the Hebrew Ladies of Victoria, held in February 1864. This was the first time that the ladies were put in charge of a Jewish community event, and it was a success, raising between $800 and $900 (probably gross).52 Other such annual balls followed.

Another early item of business for the Hebrew Ladies was to order a chuppah (wedding canopy) made of Chinese silk and manufactured in England. The group presented it to the congregation on March 21, 1864, and it was used for congregational weddings into modern times.

Tough Economic Times and Political Change

Even though, by August 1865, t he congregation’s secretary reported that all major bills of the congregation had been paid except for the mortgage,53 the gold economy was petering out by then. In 1866, in an effort to deal with falling gold revenues and colonial debt burdens, the two Crown colonies of Vancouver Island and mainland British Columbia united under one government. 64 T H E S C R I B E

The union of the colonies proved no panacea, as people continued to leave the region. Among these were a number of leaders in the Jewish community, including Abraham Blackman, Kady Gambitz, Meyer Malowanski, David Shirpser and his brothers, and even Rabbi Morris Cohen once his three-year term expired, as the congregation was unable to sustain his salary.54

In July 1871, British Columbia became a province of the Dominion of Canada. Despite the promise of a transcontinental railway to the Pacific, which would take years to build, the region continued to experience economic hardship. Nevertheless, the synagogue always managed to keep its doors open, often with laymen in the pulpit.

Eventually, with the new Canadian affiliation and the transportation link through Confederation, people arrived and estab lished new businesses. Foremost among these were the interrelated Leiser- Lenz-Hamburger families, originally from Germany and lately from Wisconsin. This group established wholesale and retail businesses in groceries, dry goods, liquor and general merchandise in Victoria and in the coal-mining towns of Vancouver Island. Two Leiser daughters later married two sons of the pioneer merchants Oppenheimer Brothers – today one of the oldest (155 years) and most historic businesses in the province.55

The Organ Controversy

The Hebrew Ladies of Victoria continued to play an integral role in the synagogue, despite holding no voting power on the board. For example, in a March 1885 congregation meeting, when the cemetery was in neglect, the women were called upon to “devise means of improving the same.”56 And, when the cemetery fence burned down, they managed to collect $400 for its repair.57

In November 1885,58 a meeting was held to discuss the possibility of forming a choir. Without board approval, “several young ladies” had Cyril E. Leonoff: The Emanu-El of Victoria, Vancouver Island 65

An invitation to H.E. (Henry Emanuel) Levy and family to attend the congregation’s 1899 Passover seder at the Hebrew Ladies’ Hall, next to the synagogue. JMABC L.00407 already collected some $220 to purchase an organ. While the introduction of music to synagogue services was a trend among Reform congregations, many Emanu-El congregants objected to the proposal as “unorthodox.” Motions regarding the formation of a choir and introducing instruments into the service were made and committees formed, yet the board dithered.

In 1887, an organ was permitted for an approaching marriage within the synagogue, “providing that no expense attending the same be charged to the synagogue.”59 In May 1891, businessman Henry Emanuel Levy bought a portable organ for $92 and sold it to the congregation at cost,60 while congregant Kate Davis volunteered as organist.

The Trans-Canada Connection and a New Rabbi

The new mainland city of Vancouver, incorporated in April 1886, was chosen as the terminus of the Canadian Pacific Railway, with the first trans-Canada passenger train from Montreal arriving there on May 23, 1887. Vancouver became the principal business and population centre of the province, and replaced Victoria as home to the largest Jewish community. Notably, the Oppenheimer Bros. head office was transferred from Victoria to Vancouver, with David Oppenheimer, a member of Con gregation Emanu-El, elected the second mayor of Vancouver, 1888-91. 66 T H E S C R I B E

Nevertheless, Victoria also enjoyed compensations from railway and port expansion. On August 13, 1886, Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald drove the last spike of the trans-island Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway, which connected up-island resource towns to Victoria. A year later came the Naval Drydock at Esquimalt Harbour. These new links and the Canada connection led to growth in the resource industries and shipping. Thereby, at the start of the 1890s, a vibrant economy, as well as the immigration of Jews escaping pogroms in Russia, enabled Congregation Emanu-El to engage its second permanent rabbi in 25 years, at a salary of $100 per month.61

Rev. Dr. Solomon Philo was described in the Daily Colonist newspaper of March 27, 1891, as “an eloquent preacher” and “a profound scholar,” a “favourite pastor” in San Francisco, from where he had come the week prior, whose “popularity will follow him here.”62 Philo, who was trained in Europe, was affiliated with the Reform Hebrew Union College of Cincinnati.

In November 1891, Philo performed the marriage of Francesca Blumenthal to Henry Louis Salmon. The story ran in the daily press, describing the chuppah, whose “supports were gracefully twined with ivy, out which peeped the delicate white blossoms of chrysanthemums ... the base being composed of palms and other tropical plants,” and Philo’s “fatherly” counsel of the couple, as well as the basics of the ceremony, including “the pledging of their fidelity one to the other, by bride and groom, and the destruction by the latter of the glass, which is ground beneath the heel.”63

Sunday school classes were taught by volunteers, and Philo was requested to give the children an hour of Hebrew instruction every Shabbat and on Sundays, and to prepare the children for examination.64 Despite some disagreements, such as to whether the rabbi and children should be allowed to study without wearing kippot during classes,65 Philo was unanimously renewed for a two-year term in March 1892.66 Cyril E. Leonoff: The Emanu-El of Victoria, Vancouver Island 67

Among other resistances to change, Philo was told to “to discontinue services in the English language at any service held in the synagogue.”67

While he was told that the congregation would not engage paid singers for the choir, the board agreed that he could use volunteer “talent from amongst members of our own Faith.”68 Being musical, the Philo family itself ended up forming the core of the choir, and the board even thanked them “for their services on behalf of the choir.”69 Nevertheless, Philo was dismissed at the end of his three-year term.70

B’nai B’rith Women later named a Victoria chapter in honour of Regina Philo, the rabbi’s wife.71 Also, daughters Louise Philo Mahrer and Minnie Philo Waxstock both married local men,72 and stayed in the Pacific Northwest.

The Hebrew Ladies’ Hall

After operating for so long as an administrative adjunct of the men’s organizations, the Hebrew Ladies’ Association of Victoria, British Columbia, was officially established in November 1890. There were 32 founding members, and any woman “of good moral character” professing the Jewish faith was eligible for membership.73

The original plans for the synagogue had called for a basement with school rooms and a mikvah (ritual bath) but this had not been built. Needed were meeting and school rooms, a rabbi’s study, a social hall and a kitchen, and the lot adjoining the synagogue, which the congregation owned, could be used for the expansion.

The Hebrew Ladies’ Association took the initiative for a new building by holding a bazaar and concert at Philharmonic Hall on May 20 and 21, 1891, and it garnered detailed coverage in the daily press,74 as well as raising $741.55, which was in the bank and would be at the disposal of the congregation.75 Further annual bazaars would be undertaken. 68 T H E S C R I B E

The Hebrew Ladies’ Hall, built next to the synagogue in 1893, was a wood structure on a stone foundation designed by B.C. architect Thomas Hooper in a Classical style, for which he would later gain fame.76 The total cost was $3,000,77 with the brick basement and mikvah being eliminated to meet the budget. Years later, a Montreal- published newspaper, the Jewish Times, reviewed the building, calling it “ an up-to-date building, fashioned and equipped to meet the requirements of the most fastidious – ball, supper, school and directors’ rooms, with kitchen and lavatories. The entire building, 70’ x 50’, is fitted with modern adornment and conveniences adapted for comfort and pleasure, and withal free from encumbrance.”78

An Era of Greater Prosperity, 1898-1901

Finding the right person and adequate fu nds for a spiritual leader continued to be a daunting challenge for Emanu-El. In the recession of the mid-1890s, the congregation made do with short-term rabbis for High Holy Days, itinerant preachers, or laymen in the pulpit. However, the Klondike Gold Rush provided an economic boost to coastal cities in the West.

When the gold rush waned by the fall of 1901, the Hebrew Ladies’ Association of Victoria helped “poor wayfarers of our faith who come from the Klondike and Northern Territories ... forwarding them to their respective destinations.”79

In the ongoing search for a rabbi, the congregation requested the aid of Chief Rabbi Dr. Hermann N. Adler in London, who recommend- ed Rev. Montague N.A. Cohen, a student completing his rabbinical studies at Jews’ college, London.80 The annual salary of £200 ($1,000) was steep for the 35-member congregation,81 and the Hebrew Ladies’ Association was asked to help raise the funds for the rabbi’s stipend.82

Cohen’s arrival on August 10, 1901, was reported widely in the press, and the rabbi was welcomed by the general community as well. For Cyril E. Leonoff: The Emanu-El of Victoria, Vancouver Island 69 example, on September 19, 1901, he was invited to give the opening prayer at the memorial services for U.S. President McKinley, who was shot on September 6, 1901, in Buffalo, N.Y., and died on September 14, 1901. Cohen was also a participant in the visit to Victoria of their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York (later to become King George V and Queen Mary).83

High Holiday services were conducted by the rabbi and the synagogue was well attended, with Jews from Vancouver, as well as many non-Jews, putting in an appearance; the services were “greatly enhanced” by the choir, “which rendered the old melodies most effectively.”84

Cohen, at the end of his term in October 1903, was the first rabbi to join in marriage with a local Victoria girl. On Oct. 20, 1903, he married “Celia, daughter of Charles Brash, local representative for many years of the firm Bissinger & Co. of San Francisco [raw fur dealers].... A reception was held in the Jewish ladies’ hall between 3 and 5 o’clock, many friends attending to extend congrat- ulations and good wishes. The bride was the recipient of many good presents.”85

The 20th Century

Emanu-El’s history for the first half of the 20th century is sparsely documented but, by the end of the Second World War, the congregation numbered only 15 paid families. Lacking funds for maintenance, the building was in an advanced state of disrepair: the doors and windows drafty, the upper galleries structurally unsound owing to dry rot, the wood-and-coal heating stove archaic.86

In 1948, $14,000 was raised to repair the synagogue. The first objective was to re place the heating system. However, beyond this, in an attempt to plug the air “holes,” the seven-foot-diameter skylight at the roof of the vaulted ceiling was removed and boarded up, a false 70 T H E S C R I B E ceiling was dropped into place to conserve heated space, the wooden front doors were removed (and disappeared) and the entire building was “modernized” by covering the brick siding, main door openings and virtually all windows with stucco.87

Benefiting from the postwar economic boom, expansion of government services and establishment of the University of Victoria, the congregation again started to grow, approaching 100 families. There was temptation to sell the synagogue building and use the proceeds to build a modern structure in the suburbs, however, a few dedicated volunteers resolved that the time had come to restore their heritage building to the original architectural style and beauty of 1863 – the congregation unanimously approved the project.88

The committee to restore Canada’s oldest surviving synagogue was chaired by political scientist, author and journalist Dr. Martin Levin. He and his wife, Donna, came to Victoria from Salt Spring Island. Levin taught at the universities of British Columbia and Victoria. He served as president of Congregation Emanu-El in 1977-78 and, at the end of 1978, was elected to the Victoria School Board, serving to the end of 1982.89 After restoration of the synago gue, Levin was elected an alderman for a two-year term on Victoria City Council in 1983,90 becoming the second known Jew to serve on that body, following Lumley Franklin, who had served in 1866.

Allan Klenman was another key member of the restoration committee. Son of a farm family, postwar, he worked in advertising for CKNW radio station of New Westminster, then as a realtor in Victoria. As president of the Jewish Historical Society of British Columbia from fall 1978 to 1986, he initiated and edited The Scribe for eight years. Many of the articles on the Jewish history of Victoria were included in its pages during Klenman’s term. He was an early advocate for the restoration of the synagogue,91 and a significant fundraiser on behalf of the restoration project.

Other members of the restoration committee were synagogue Cyril E. Leonoff: The Emanu-El of Victoria, Vancouver Island 71 treasurer Henry Brown, businessman Michael Goldberg, architect Ben Levinson, publisher Gene Miller and lawyer Felix Reuben.

Of the ultimate project cost of $370,000, more than half was raised in the Victoria Jewish community, an appreciable sum considering that, only a few years earlier, the total annual budget of the congregation had been $20,000.92 Financial support was tendered by many sources, inclu ding British Columbia Heritage Trust, the City of Victoria, the Bronfman Foundation, members of the Vancouver Jewish community, as well as non-Jews.

The two-year challenge of restoring the building was demanding: to remove old paint and stucco, to duplicate antique bricks of irregular shapes, to recreate doors no longer manufactured, to ship stained glass from Europe, to remake 300 spindles for the gallery railing, to curve new banisters, to restore a rose window that could not be removed from the wall, to find plasterers expert at restoration and to find a craftsman who could duplicate the original pews. The goal was to achieve a restoration as faithful to the original as possible.93

Provincial Heritage Conservation Branch lent its technical services and, upon completion of the project, the synagogu e was given three heritage awards: local, Canadian and North American.94

On May 16, 1982, the foundation stone, previous- ly laid with such fanfare, was opened. In a carefully carved cavity inside the granite stone was found the sealed bottle placed there by PHOTOGRAPHER: CYRIL E. LEONOFF; JMABC L.18482 the Freemasons 119 years The cornerstone of Congregation Emanu-El, laid by the Masonic Lodges 119 years earlier, was earlier. Unfortunately, it opened on May 16, 1982, revealing the carved was cracked, and moisture cavity in the granite that held the time capsule. 72 T H E S C R I B E BC L.18486 BC JMA LEONOF F; E. CYRIL PHOTOGRAPHER:

Martin Levin chairman of the restoration committee and master of ceremonies, speaks at Congregation Emanu-El’s rededication ceremony in Victoria on June 6, 1982. had turned the original vellum scroll naming the Masonic participants to an amorphous pulp. Yet, the two booklets detailing the by-laws of each of the Masonic lodges taking part in the ceremony had survived intact. The artifacts were given to the Provincial Museum and Archives for treatment.95

On Sunday, June 6, 1982, once again, the city of Victoria turned out en masse to reenact the multicultural ce lebration of June 1862. Led by the Shriners’ band, various ethnic groups, dressed in their traditional costumes, paraded through the city’s main streets. En route, the procession passed the Masonic Hall, where it was joined by 700 Masons in full regalia, assembled from all around the province. Together, they marched to the restored Emanu-El Synagogue, the occasion closely duplicating the original histori c event.96

The weather had been cloudy and cool but, just before the start of ceremonies, a warm sun began to shine on the crowd of 3,000 people. Rabbi Wilfred Solomon of Vancouver’s Congregation Beth Israel Cyril E. Leonoff: The Emanu-El of Victoria, Vancouver Island 73 delivered the invocation and Canon Robert MacRae, chairman of the Victoria Council of Churches, gave greetings. Beth Israel Choir led the singing. Platform speakers included Victoria Mayor Peter Pollen, British Columbia Premier William Bennett, former premier and Leader of the Opposition David Barrett and Chief Justice of British Columbia Nathan Nemetz, the latter two of the Jewish faith.

The original laying of the cornerstone by the Freemasons was symbolically reenacted by the Most Worshipful Grand Master Donald James MacLaurin, assisted by three grand lodge officers. Measurements confirmed that the stone was square, level and plumb and, with three taps of his trowel, MacLaurin declared it to be sound. Lastly, the horn of plenty, the wine of joy and the oil of refreshment were poured on the surface, “the rewards of a faithful performance of duty.” Dr. Martin Levin, in his capacity as chair of the restoration committee, declared the synagogue open for use by all of Victoria’s citizens. Rabbi Harvey Markowitz recited the benediction.

On the synagogue’s 120th anniversary – celebrated Sunday, June 26, 1983 – the Government of Canada mounted a plaque recognizing the “national historic and architectura l significance of the Congregation Emanu-El Temple.” On this occasion, the main address was given by Senator the Hon. Jack Austin, a member of the B.C. Jewish commu-

Senator Jack Austin unveils the

commemorative JMABC LEONOFF; E. CYRIL PHOTOGRAPHER: plaque placed on Congregation Emanu-El on the synagogue’s 120th anniversary, June 26, 1983. 74 T H E S C R I B E nity, who also unveiled the plaque. Other platform guests included Dr. Charles Humphries, B.C. member of Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada; Harry Goldberg, president, Congregation Emanu-El; alderman Janet M. Baird, acting mayor of Victoria; Dr. Martin Levin, on behalf of the restoration committee; Cyril E. Leonoff, archivist, Jewish Historical Society of British Columbia; and Emanu-El Rabbi Vi ctor H. Reinstein; Vicky Smolov played O Canada.97

On the Footprint of the Hebrew Ladies’ Hall

The Hebrew Ladies’ Hall served the Victoria Jewish community as a social hall and school for a decade-and-a-half under the administra- tion of the Hebrew Ladies’ Association. By 1907, though, it had been renamed the Victoria Hall and then became a rental property to financially support the congregation. Around 1970, neglected and deteriorated, the 80-year-old-structure was demolished to make way for the car lot of a neighbouring automobile dealer, but the land title was retained by the congregation.

In 2002, construction of an educational and cultural centre for the synagogue began on the site. Completion of the building – with facilities for social gatherings, classes, meetings, a rabbi’s study and the lon g-awaited mikvah – was prompted by the needs of the 200- family membership. In the 19th century, there had never been more than 300 Jews living in Vancouver Island; by the 2001 Census, however, the Jewish population had grown to 3,870.98

The official opening of the Al and Sylvia Fisher Building, the Congregation Emanu-El Educational and Cultural Centre, took place on April 6, 2003. Themed “L’Dor v ’Dor” (“From Generation to Generation”), the invitation to the dedication pointed out: “A significant event such as this only happens once in a century.”99 Cyril E. Leonoff: The Emanu-El of Victoria, Vancouver Island 75

Keeping the faith

In expressing the sentiments of the restoration committee, Dr. Martin Levin expressed sentiments appropriate to all those who, over the years, have willed, planned, built, preserved, restored, supported, prayed in and celebrated Emanu-El Synagogue:

For all who worked on the restoration of our House of Worship, it was never a matter of dollars and cents or of bricks and mortar, although we spent countless hours and seemingly innumerable meetings dealing with these practical questions. It was a matter of keeping faith with our founders who had built so well for the future of Jewish life on the West Coast, over a century ago. It was a question of recreating the beauty and harmony of the sanctuary envisaged by our pioneers. It was also a way of contributing to the special historical character of our city that has taken particular pains to preserve its past and its heritage buildings. Perhaps at the deepest level of our Jewish psy- che, having survived as a people against all odds for 4,000 years, the restoration of our ancient synagogue was a way of asserting that we are still capable of undertaking the improbable and suc- ceeding, despite the forces arrayed against us.

Perhaps the remarkable story of the restoration of Canada’s oldest surviving synagogue provides evidence that the sad and tragic history of Jews living in a gentile society is not inevitable. It offers for those who wish to find it, proof that another kind of relationship is possible, a relationship, in the words of that early newspaper account quoted earlier, characterized by “hearty goodwill and brotherly fe”eling. 100

Precisely to the date, on Sunday, June 2, 2013, Congregation Emanu- El of Victoria, Vancouver Island, will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the laying of its foundation stone. Described by its founders as a “Tabernacle of God,” reminiscent of the biblical Israelites’ sanctuary in the Sinai Desert, this synagogue has endured into modern times as “an almost perfect little religious structure,”101 achieving several longevity accomplishments. 76 T H E S C R I B E

It is Victoria’s oldest house of worship of any denomination in continuous use. Pre-dating Confederation, it was the third synagogue built, but the oldest surviving, in present-day Canada. It and Touro Synagogue (1763) of Newport, R.I., are the only two extant synagogues in North America built under a British colonial charter102 and, in western North America, it is the oldest serving synagogue.

ENDNOTES

1. Cyril E. Leonoff, “The Rise of Jewish Life and Religion in British Columbia,” The Scribe 28 (2008): 9-10. 2. Ibid., 10. 3. David Rome, “Rosh Hashona 5719 – Centennial of First Jewish New Year Services Over a Quarter of the Globe,” Jewish Western Bulletin (JWB), September 12, 1958: 5, 38. 4. British Colonist, June 6, 1859: 2. 5. “Consecration of the Hebrew Burial Ground,” British Colonist, February 11, 1860: 2. 6. Congregation Emanu-El, Minute Books 1. 1862-86, 2. 1886-1900, 3. 1900- 22, 4. 1922-31. “Meeting Called by Committee on Subscriptions for Lot of a future Synagogue,” Minute Book 1. 7. David Shirpser and Aaron Simson, “Report of Committee on Buying Parcel of Ground for a Future Synagogue,” n.d., found in Eiran Harris, Temple Emanu-El document copies, Jewish Historical Society of British Columbia Historical Subject Files, A.1998.010.337, Jewish Museum and Archives of British Columbia ( JMABC). 8. David Rome, The First Two Years: A Record of the Jewish Pioneers on Canada’s Pacific Coast, 1858-1860 (Montreal: H.M. Caiserman, 1942), 52-63. 9. Ibid., 64-77. 10. John Hayman, ed., Robert Brown and the Vancouver Island Exploring Expedition (Vancouver: UBC Press, 1989), 138, 140. 11. “Lumley Franklin – Mayor of Victoria,” JWB, Centenary Edition, 5, 56 ( June 30, 1958). 12. “Subscription List,” Congregation Emanu-El: “We the undersigned hereby agree to pay to the Congregation Emanu-El of Victoria, V.I., for the purpose of erecting a Brick Synagogue, the sums sett [sic] opposite to our respective names. Payments to be made on call of the Committee in four installments.” November 26, 1862; Congregation Emanu-El fonds; JMABC A.2012.004.001. 13. Cyril E. Leonoff, “Pioneer Jewish Merchants of Vancouver Island and British Columbia,” Canadian Jewish Historical Society Journal 8, no. 1 (Spring 1984): 26-27. Cyril E. Leonoff: The Emanu-El of Victoria, Vancouver Island 77

14. “Board of Trustees Regular Monthly Meeting,“ September 7, 1862, Minute Book 1: 31. 15. Ibid., November 9, 1862: 33. 16. Ibid., December 21, 1862: 34. 17. Ibid., February 1, 1863: 35. 18. A. Hoffman, “Secretary’s Report,” November 22, 1862; John Keenlyside’s Congregation Emanu-El collection; JMABC A.2012.017.001. 19. “Adjourned Regular Quarterly Meeting,” November 23, 1862, Minute Book 1:6. 20. Office of the Chief Rabbi, London, to Brethren of the House of Israel, July 22, 5622 (1862), Minute Book 1: 15-18. 21. Office of the Chief Rabbi, London, to the president of the Hebrew Congregation, Victoria, February 11, 5623 (1863), Minute Book 1: 15. 22. A. Hoffman, Secretary, Congregation Emanuel, Victoria, to Rev. Dr. N. Adler, Chief Rabbi of England and its Dependencies, May 5, 1863, Minute Book 1: 18-20. 23. Minute Book 1: 13. 24. “Subscription List.” 25. “Special Meeting,” November 30, 1862, Minute Book 1: 7-8. 26. “Board of Trustees Regular Monthly Meeting,” February 1, 1863, Minute Book 1:36. 27. “Special Meeting,” January 11, 1863, Minute Book 1: 9. 28. Martin Segger, Victoria: A Primer for Regional History in Architecture (Watkins Glen, N.Y.: American Life Foundation and Study Institute, 1979), 227, 351. 29. “Regular Quarterly Meeting,” June 29, 1863, Minute Book 1: 13-14. 30. “Congregation Adjourned Regular Quarterly Meeting,” November 22, 1863, Minute Book 1: 24-25. 31. “Board of Trustees Regular Monthly Meeting,” May 19, 1863, Minute Book 1:40; “Special Meeting,” May 26, 1863, Minute Book 1: 12. 32. British Colonist, August 22, 1860. 33. J.B. Kerr, Biographical Dictionary of Well-Known British Columbians (Vancouver: Kerr and Begg, 1890), 268-69. 34. “Special Meeting,” February 3, 1863, Minute Book 1: 29. 35. The description of the ceremony’s details comes from “Imposing Ceremony: Laying the Foundation Stone of the Hebrew Synagogue,” British Colonist, June 3, 1863: 3; “Synagogue of the Congregational Emanuel,” John T. Marshall, History of Grand Lodge of British Columbia (Victori a: Grand Lodge AF and AM, Colonist Printers, 1971), 393-95; and “Laying of Corner Stone of Synagogue,” June 2, 1863, Minute Book 3: 287-280. 36. Anne Burnaby McLeod and Pixie McGeachie, Land of Promise: Robert Burnaby’s Letters from Colonial British Columbia, 1858-1863 (Burnaby: City of Burnaby, 2002), 174. 37. “Imposing Ceremony,” 3. 78 T H E S C R I B E

38. Nicholas R. Bawlf, “The Restoration of the Synagogue of Congregation Emanuel,” The Scribe (March 1981): 2-3. 39. Board Adjourned Regular Meeting,” September 8, 1863, Minute Book 1:46. 40. Board of Trustees Regular Monthly Meeting”, August 10, 1863, Minute Book 1: 42; “Special Meeting,” September 23, 1863, Minute Book 1: 23. 41. “Board Adjourned Regular Meeting,” September 8, 1863, Minute Book 1: 46; Allan Klenman, “British Columbia’s First Rabbi,” The Scribe, no. 11 (March 1982), 5-7. The Sacramento congregation was B’nai Israel. 42. “Board of Trustees Adjourned Meeting,” October 25, 1863, Minute Book 1: 49. 43. “Special Meeting,” September 23, 1863, Minute Book 1: 23. 44. S. Hoffman to M.R. Cohen, November 30, 1863, and M.R. Cohen to S. Hoffman, December 3, 1863, Minute Book 1: 52-53. 45. Ma tthew Macfie, Vancouver Island and British Columbia (London: Longman, 1865), 83. 46. Jewish Chronicle, February 7, 1862. 47. M.R. Cohen, Minister of Congregation, to the President of the Synagogue Emanu-El, Victoria, November 9, 1863. 48. House of Assembly, Vancouver Island, 1863-1866 (Victoria: Provincial Archives of British Columbia, 1980), 110. 49. Ibid., 305. 50. There are two printed versions: Con stitution and By-Laws of Congregation Emanu-El of Victoria, V.I. (Victoria: Jas A. Cohen, 1893), which was then amend- ed in June 1930. 51. “Congregation Adjourned Regular Quarterly Meeting,” November 22, 1863, Minute Book 1: 24-25. 52. “Congregation Regular Semi Annual Meeting,” February 28, 1864, Minute Book 1: 150. 53. “Annual General Meeting,” August 27, 1865, Minute Book 1. 54. The Hebrew, April 15, 1866: 3. In 1870, Dr. M.R. Cohen became the founding rabbi of B’nai Jehudah, the first synagogue in Kansas City, and he died there in 1890. 55. Cyril E. Leonoff, “Simon Leiser: Principal Merchant of Vancouver Island,” The Scribe 15, no. 1 (February 1995): 15-20; Western States Jewish History (WSJH) 27/4 ( July 1995): 231-37. 56. “Congregation Regular Semi Annual Meeting,” March 1885, Minute Book 1: 118. 57. “Congregation Semi Annual Meeting,” March 29, 1891, Minute Book 2: 47. 58. “Congregation Special Meeting,” November 1885, Minute Book 1: 126-29. 59. “Board of Trustees Regular Meeting,” November 14, 1887, Minute Book 2: 26. 60. “Board of Trustees Meeting,” May 28, 1891, Minute Book 2: 50. Cyril E. Leonoff: The Emanu-El of Victoria, Vancouver Island 79

61. Ibid., 49. 62. “The New Rabbi,” Daily Colonist, March 27, 1891: 5. 63. “These Twain Shall be One,” Daily Colonist, November 25, 1891: 6. 64. “Board of Trustees Meeting,” October 23, 1892, Minute Book 2: 62. 65. “Congregation Semi Annual Meeting,” September 12, 1891, Minute Book 2: 53-54. 66. “Congregation Adjourned Special Meeting,” February 21, 1892, Minute Book 2: 59. 67. “Board Special Meeting, ” May 3, 1892, Secretary to Rev. S. Philo, May 4, 1892, Minute Book 2:66. 68. “Board of Trustees Meeting,” October 23, 1892, Minute Book 2: 87; Secretary to Rev. Dr. Philo, October 26, 1892, Minute Book 2: 89-90. 69. “Board of Trustees Meeting,” April 9, 1893, Minute Book 2: 113-14. 70. “Congregation Special Meeting,” September 24, 1893, Minute Book 2: 130. 71. “BB in Victoria,” JWB, June 30, 1958: 38. 72. “Minnie Philo to I.A. Waxstock,” Daily Colonist, September 15, 1892: 3; “Louisa E. Philo to John Mahrer,” Daily Colonist, August 9, 1893: 5. 73. Constitution By-Laws and Rules of Order of the Hebrew Ladies’ Association, Victoria, B.C., Organized Nov. 1890 (Victoria: Times Job Dept., 1896). 74. Daily Colonist, May 21, 1891: 6. 75. “Congregation Special Meeting,” June 15, 1891, Minute Book 2: 51. 76. Segger, 228-29, 338-39. 77. Daily Colonist, January 1, 1894: 3. 78. Jewish Times, March 16, 1900. 79. Jewish Times, September 27, 1901: 1. 80. “Board of Officers Meeting,” October 17, 1900, Minute Book 3: 8. 81. “Congregation Annual Meeting,” September 2, 1900, Minute Book 3: 5. 82. Ibid., 15; “Congregation Joint Special Meeting,” April 25, 1901, Minute Book 3: 16. 83. Jewish Times, October 25, 1901. 84. Ibid. 85. Daily Colonist, October 21, 1903. 86. “Eddy Mallek: Recollections of his Years (1942-1948) as President of Synagogue Emanu-El of Victoria,” The Scribe, no. 23 (September 1985): 2, 5. 87. “Historic Jewish Temple to be Reopened,” Daily Times, March 5, 1948: 1. 88. “B.C. Grant Boosts Historic Restoration,” Daily Colonist, August 30, 1979: 15; “Plan Major Restoration of Victoria Synagogue,” JWB, September 20, 1979: 23. 89. Martin Levin, “Unique Restoration Reflects Canada’s Special Heritage,” JWB, May 27, 1982: 5-6. 90. Times Colonist, November 20, 1983: A-1; Times Colonist, November 21, 1983: A-2. 80 T H E S C R I B E

91. Ab Kent, “Jewish Historical Society Studies Synagogue Restoration,” Times, February 21, 1976. 92. Martin Levin, “The Founding and Restoration of Canada’s Oldest Surviving Synagogue: A Different Jewish History,” Canadian Jewish Historical Society Journal 8, no. 1 (Spring 1984): 1-11. 93. Ibid., 6. 94. The awards were the Hallmark Society Louis Award, “for exemplary effort and dedication in the restora tion of Canada’s oldest synagogue”; the Heritage Canada Foundation, British Columbia and Yukon Regional Award of Honour, “for an outstanding contribution to the conservation of Canada’s built heritage”; and the American Association for State and Local History Award of Merit, “for the restoration and rededication of a significant cultural and architectural heritage landmark.” 95. “Everything You Wanted to Know About the Restoration of Canada’s Oldest Synagogue – But Were Afraid to Ask,” The Scribe 13, no. 12 ( June 1982): 4-5. 96. The description of the 1982 event comes from a variety of sources, including this writer, who was present and photographed the event, and wrote “Victoria, Vancouver Island: Birth of a Jewish Community and Erection of a Tabernacle of God,” WSJH 22/4 ( July 1992): 324-343. Additional sources are Rebecca Wigod, “Temple Emanu-El is Back to Basics and Ready to Celebrate,” Times-Colonist, May 28, 1982: 25; Barney Singer, “A New Beginning for Canada’s Oldest Synagogue,” Monday Magazine 8, no. 23 ( June 4-10, 1982); Martin Levin, “Victoria Rededicates B.C.’s Oldest House of Worship,” JWB, June 3, 1982: 7-10; JWB staff, “Victoria rededicates Temple Emanuel,” JWB, June 17, 1982: 1,7; and Pat Nichol, “Congregation Emanuel,” Westworld 8, no. 5 ( June 7, 1982): 39-41. 97. A copy of the event program is held by the JMABC. 98. The 19th-century number is based on calculations by the author, the 2001 data are from Statistics Canada, 2001 Census of Canada. 99. A copy of the event program is held by the JMABC. This writer was present at the event. 100. Levin, Canadian Jewish Historical Society Journal, 1-11. 101. Wigod, 25. 102. Barry Steifel and George M. Goodwin, “Three New World Synagogues: Preserved Symbols of Toleration, Pride and Continuity,” The Scribe 29 (2009): 27-44. Ed Fitch: Preserving, Rehabilitating and Restoring Emanu-El of Victoria 81

PRESERVING, REHABILITATING AND RESTORING EMANU-EL OF VICTORIA By Ed Fitch

This article will relate the major milestones in the life of our 1863 sanctuary building with focus on the efforts to preserve, rehabilitate and restore1 (PRR) the magnificent architectural and historical treasure that is “The Emanuel of Victoria.”2 I will avoid repeating information available elsewhere but will endeavour to point the reader to these sources. The major new contribution of this article will be the (hi)story of the current efforts to PRR Emanu-El in the context of its sesquicentennial year (2013) of celebration, commemoration and education.

The Early Years

There are reliable records that Jews first came to Victoria in 1858,3 four years before the founding of the city. Much has been written about these men and wom en who journeyed to the northwestern limit of civilization in the Americas inspired by the discovery of gold in the British Columbia interior. Fuelled by gold fever, Victoria soon became the bustling metropolis of the Pacific Northwest, second only to San Francisco, itself largely a product of the California gold rush of 1849. While some pioneering Jews focused on the primal search for the yellow meta l, most had learned from their days in San Francisco that the real money was to be found in providing for the influx of miners and the infrastructure required to sustain them.

Soon after their arrival, Jews were meeting for religious services and, by 1859, had established a cemetery. By 1862, plans were being discussed to build a synagogue. And what grand plans they were!

First, they had to purchase a property, which they did at a cost of $730 – the land was granted for churches at no cost. Then, the firm of 82 T H E S C R I B E CONGREGATION EMANU-EL FONDS; JMABC A.2012.004.001 CONGREGATIONJMABC FONDS; EMANU-EL

Part of the list of donors who helped fund the construction of Congregation Emanu-El. The donors comprised a wide swath of the city’s citzenry, as seen by the original subscription list, Victoria, B.C., November 26, 1862.

Wright and Sanders4 was selected as the architects and builders, with John Wright acknowledged as its architect. The plans called for a substantial brick building in the Romanesque Revival style. This was in contrast to the majority of houses of worship (churches) in that period, which were of wood construction, only one of which has survived to this day, in Hope, B.C.5 Remarkably, a public appeal for funds to finance the construction was answered by a broad cross- section of the citizenry of the city. The list of donors and donations survives to this day. Ed Fitch: Preserving, Rehabilitating and Restoring Emanu-El of Victoria 83 BRITISH COLUMBIA ARCHIVES (BCA) A-09157; (BCA) ARCHIVES COLUMBIA BRITISH JMABC L.00878 JMABC

Emanu-El, as seen from the southeast corner of Blanshard at Pandora Street, circa 1900. Note the view of the Hebrew Ladies’ Hall to the south (right).

The pioneer Jewish community of 25-35 households (approximately 100 souls) commissioned a synagogue that seated 350. The cornerstone was laid on June 2, 1863,6,7 and the building was first used on September 13 (erev Rosh Hashanah 5624) of that same year.8 In November 1863, the building committee reported the project complete. (It is an unfounded rumour that the building of the synagogue was delayed until 1863 because the City of Victoria was founded in 1862 and it took a year to get a building permit through the new planning department.)

The congregation was incorporated by an act of the Legislature of the Colony of Vancouver Island that received assent on July 7, 1864, as “The Emanuel of Victoria, Vancouver Island.”9

In 1866, the Colony of Vancouver Island amalgamated with the Colony of British Colu mbia. With the end of the gold rush and completion of the rail connection on the mainland to Eastern Canada and the United States, the focus of entrepreneurs and rapid economic expansion shifted from Victoria to the new city of Vancouver. 84 T H E S C R I B E

Victoria experienced a depression and long periods of little or slow growth. This was reflected in Victoria’s Jewish community.

Our story diverges slightly now to account for two other structures on the Emanu-El campus.10

In 1893, on a parcel of land to the south of the sanctuary, purchased circa 1863 for an extra $350, the congregation erected a wooden structure measuring 50-by-70 feet, called the Hebrew Ladies’ Hall, so named because it could not have been built without the Hebrew Ladies’ Association having raised a large part of the construction funds and because it was intended to facilitate the association in their further fundraising activities. This building functioned in many different roles: as a ballroom, space for bazaars, a school, a church and even a judo club. Later renamed Victoria Hall, by the 1970s, the then 80-year-old structure had deteriorated and was demolished in favour of a used car lot. The land was later used for the portable classrooms of Emanu-El’s Hebrew school, until the construction of the present Fisher Building (Congregation Emanu-El Education and Culture Centre). CITY OF VICTORIA ARCHIVES M-08659. ARCHIVES VICTORIA OF CITY

The Hebrew Ladies’ Hall, built in 1893, became Emanu-El’s school. Seen here to the right of the synagogue in the 1940s, the structure was demolished in the 1970s. Ed Fitch: Preserving, Rehabilitating and Restoring Emanu-El of Victoria 85

The first of several additions to the structure was built in approximately 1900. The construction dates of the other additions are circa 1947 and 1998- 2000. GOAL ENGINEERING LTD.

The other structure was a single-storey addition referred to as a “lean to.” In approximately 1900, it was built onto southeast corner of the sanctuary. The structure was extended to the street in the late 1940s, when the synagogue was “modernized.”11 This space, still very much in use today, has served multiple purposes over the last 100 years: from kitchen to classroom to meeting space to child play area, it has been truly versatile.

Years of Decline and Crisis

By 1901, the population of Vancouver had surpassed that of Victoria and the gap has grown ever since. As for the Victoria Jewish community, its numbers had climbed gradually to about 150 by 1900, but then dropped off to about 100 by the 1920s/30s. Ray Rose, whose parents arrived in 1909, was born in Victoria in 1920. His bar mitzvah in 1933 was the first in Congregation Emanu-El in 10 years. In 1939, at the outbreak of the Second World War, there were only six Jewish teenagers in Victoria: three boys and three girls. The three boys went off to fight for the Allied cause and all had returned by 1945.12 86 T H E S C R I B E JMABC L.00119 JMABC

The bar mitzvah of Ray Rose in 1933 was the first held in Congregation Emanu-El since 10 years prior. E. LEONOFF; JMABC L.00869 PHOTOGRAPH ER: CYRIL

The synagogue circa 1971, decades after its 1948 remodelling. Ed Fitch: Preserving, Rehabilitating and Restoring Emanu-El of Victoria 87 PHOTOGRAPHER: JIM RYAN; JEWISH WESTERN BULLETIN (JWB) FONDS; JMABC L.15023 JMABC FONDS; (JWB) BULLETIN RYAN;WESTERN JIM JEWISH PHOTOGRAPHER: PHOTOGRAPHER: CYRIL E. LEONOFF; JWB FONDS; JMABC L.15024 JMABC FONDS; JWB LEONOFF; E. CYRIL PHOTOGRAPHER:

These two images show how the false roof inserted in 1948 (image on the left, from the renovation ceremonies in 1980) had cut off the balcony and height of the ark. It was removed in the restoration of the synagogue, as seen in the photo on the right, which was taken in 1981.

By 1948, problems had reached crisis proportions.13 It is thought that there was consideration given to selling the building, as the estimat- ed seven remaining member families could barely raise the money to heat the building. However, they persevered. In order to cut operating costs, they took the sanctuary through what has been termed “some rather unsympathetic remodelling.”14 In the process, the interior was reduced to one storey through the installation of a false ceiling cutting off the mezzanine balcony. The windows were sealed, as were two of the three main entrance doors. The whole building was clad in yellow stucco. As unseemly as this may seem to us today, these drastic steps saved the building until better times returned. 88 T H E S C R I B E PHOTOGRAPHER: JIM RYAN; JWB FONDS; JMABC L.15021 JMABC RYAN;FONDS; JIM JWB PHOTOGRAPHER:

Premier Bill Bennett at the official commencement of the Congregation Emanu-El restoration project in 1980. PHOTOGRAPHER: CYRIL E. LEONOFF; JMABC L.06633 JMABC LEONOFF; E. CYRIL PHOTOGRAPHER:

Congregation Emanu-El in 1980, near the beginning of the restoration efforts, the 1948 façade having been removed. Ed Fitch: Preserving, Rehabilitating and Restoring Emanu-El of Victoria 89 FF; JMABC L.12404 JMABC LEONO FF; E. CYRIL PHOTOGRAPHER:

The Al and Sylvia Fisher Building, the Congregation Emanu-El Educational and Cultural Centre, was opened in 2003.

By 1979, the Jewish community of Victoria had rebounded to the point that the leadership began to contemplate restoring the sanctuary to its original glory. By 1983, their efforts had overcome innumerable challenges and the reconstruction was completed, resulting in the receipt of several project awards and National Heritage Site status for the sanctuary building.15

Recent Years

Growth has continu ed at Emanu-El and the egalitarian Conservative congregation now welcomes in the order of 200 member families, despite the advent of three new congregations in the city over the last 10 or so years: Aish HaTorah (modern Orthodox), Kolot Mayim (Reform) and Chabad of Vancouver Island. It is popularly believed that there are now 2,500-3,500 Jews on Vancouver Island, although many of them are unaffiliated. Nonetheless, after much debate, 90 T H E S C R I B E followed by intense fundraising efforts, the Al and Sylvia Fisher Building, the Congregation Emanu-El Educational and Cultural Centre, was opened in 2003. It is located on the same spot as was the historic Hebrew Ladies’ Hall and wooden school of 110 years earlier.

The Mystery of the Cracks

I arrived in Victoria in July 2006 with my wife, Sharon, and began regular attendance at Shabbat services at Cong regation Emanu-El. It did not take long before I noticed the cracks high on the wall to the right of the aron kodesh (holy ark). In subsequent weeks, I noticed that the cracks were growing. Given my educational background, I was prompted to ask some questions. This resulted in my appointment to the house committee, then led by Miriam Fisher z”l, who I later succeeded as committee chair.

By December 2007,e w LTD.ENGINEERING GOAL had instituted a program of crack measurement through the placement of gauges over the four most prominent cracks in the exterior wall. Periodic measurements have been conducted since. The primary concern is public safety, with a concurrent interest in discovering and rectifying the cause of the cracks.16,17

Access to the attic to check the roof structure was achieved through the one small trap door in the northwest corner of the mezzanine ceiling. Ed Fitch: Preserving, Rehabilitating and Restoring Emanu-El of Victoria 91

Our first instinct was that the walls were cracking due to shifting of the building foundation. With the help of GOAL Engineering Ltd., our partners in crack monitoring, and Thurber Engineering Ltd., we examined the footings at five test pits, only to find that the building foundations were quite sound.18 This is remarkable in itself given the primitive method of preparing building foundations in 186319 and the cumulative effects of construction on the surrounding lots and 150 years of traffic at this busy street corner.

Finding that the foundations were not at fault, we then investigated the roof structure. Access was achieved on June 3, 2010, through the one small trap door in the northwest corner of the mezzanine ceiling. The roof investigation party consisting of Mark Byram (GOAL), Don Luxton (Donald Luxton and Associates), Dan Weber of Read Jones Christoffersen (RJC) and myself soon identified the problem. Essentially, old water damage (likely prior to 1979) had caused rot in some structural members where they entered the masonry walls. This same water infiltration had caused the failure of the lime mortar at these points, resulting in loose bricks that had lost any structural value.20 These flaws were allowing the roof to sag, thereby exerting lateral forces on the masonry walls, causing the observed cracking.

The Sesquicentennial Restoration Project

To start on this round of once-in-a-generation PRR on the 1863 sanctuary, the board of directors of Congregation Emanu-El sponsored a competition to find a heritage conservation consultant: Donald Luxton and Associates (Vancouver) was selected.21 Donald Luxton explained that his pleasure on being chosen to work with Emanu-El of Victoria was based on at least three factors: the sheer age of the building, as few older are in existence; its rare Romanesque Revival architecture; and that it has been in continuous use for its original purpose since the day it was built. These factors combine, he said, to make Emanu-El one of the three or four mos t important historical buildings in British Columbia.22 92 T H E S C R I B E

The scope of work developed included, in approximate order of priority, the need to repair and reinforce the roof structure; restore the windows and increase the R-value23 to reduce heat loss; replace the outmoded electro-mechanical heating controls with a programmable electronic system; upgrade the fire/smoke detection system to promote early warning; replace the front entrance and modify it to provide universal access; enhance the security of the aron kodesh to provide fire, theft, flood and earthquake protection for the sifrei Torah (Torah scrolls); and renew the well-worn wooden floor. Compared to the 1982-era restoration, these projects are mostly out of sight and out of mind. They can be likened to municipal sewer pipes and water supply lines – as long as they are working, no one pays them m uch attention and one is loath to invest the necessary funding for their upkeep or replacement, but when they fail, however, watch the attention they garner.

“The elephant in the sanctuary” is what will happen when the oft- predicted major earthquake occurs. Will there be a major earthquake? Almost certainly. How much damage would be inflicted on “The Emanuel of Victoria”? Hashem24 only knows. We examined a number of options to further strengthen the building in the event of an earthquake. Since it is a heritage building, and is uninhabited for the most part of any week, there is no requirement in law to take other than common-sense preventative measures; for example, repairing the sagging roof structure. Retrofitting earthquake protection usually involves the construction of an exoskeleton intern al or external to the building. Either option would be extremely intrusive and would destroy many of the heritage elements for which the edifice is treas- ured. However, from my personal experience in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake in Venzone, Italy, in 1976 and my return to that city in 1996, I know how well great buildings can be restored after such a natural disaster.25 That being said, our main focus is on saving the current structure of the synagogue building so that it can withstand the everyday elements of nature.

The money required to accomplish this work, approximately Ed Fitch: Preserving, Rehabilitating and Restoring Emanu-El of Victoria 93

$950,000 in 2012 dollars, is far beyond what our small community can muster. Thus, our search for financial support from three levels of government and all manner of private donations continues. We have enjoyed considerable success in the Victoria Jewish community and continue our appeals to other sources. The restoration team is determined to continue the struggle until the work incumbent on our gen eration has been funded and completed.

Once we have completed the projects described above, thus ensuring the integrity of the building envelope, we believe that the Emanu-El sanctuary will be in a sufficient state of repair that a 20-year cycle of periodic preventive maintenance inspections and repairs should see the building through its next 150 years.

ENDNOTES

1. According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Her itage_conservation_in_Canada, preservation is “the action or process of protecting, maintaining and/or stabilizing the existing materials, form and integrity of an historic place or of an individual component, while protecting its heritage value. Preservation can include both short-term and interim measures to protect or stabilize the place, as well as long-term actions to retard deterioration or prevent damage so that the place can be kept serviceable through routine maintenance and minimal repair, rather than extensive replacement and new construction.” Rehabilitation is “the action or process of making possible a continuing or compatible contemporary use of an historic place or an individual component, through repair, alterations and/or additions, while protecting its heritage value.” And, restoration is “the action or process of accurately revealing, recovering or representing the state of an historic place or of an individual component, as it appeared at a particular period in its history, while protecting its heritage value.” 2. This is the name used in the 1864 Act of Incorporation (http://www.congregationemanu-el.ca/ee150/media/images/). I use it to distinguish the 1863 sanc tuary (synagogue) building from Congregation Emanu-El, the corporation that owns and operates the synagogue as a not-for-profit entity, and as a spiritual and social activist community. 3. Cyril E. Leonoff is the acknowledged historian emeritus of the Jewish Historical Society of British Columbia. He has written extensively on the early years of Jewish life in British Columbia, particularly in his seminal Pioneers, Pedlars and Prayer Shawls: The Jewish Communities in British Columbia and the 94 T H E S C R I B E

Yukon (Victoria: Sono Nis Press, 1978), and an article encapsulating some of his extensive research appears in this issue of The Scribe. Another notable contribution is Benjamin G. Sack’s History of the Jews in Canada (Montreal: Harvest House, 1965), said by Multicultural Canada (http://www.multiculturalcanada.ca/ Encyclopedia/A-Z/j3/13) to be the first general history of Canadian Jewry, originally published in Yiddish in 1948, then translated into English as History of the Jews in Canada and published in 1965. 4. According to http://ee150.drupalgardens.com/blog, John Wright and George H. Sanders got their start in Victoria, but later moved to San Francisco to seek their fortunes. It is one of those twists of history that much of Wright and Sanders’ best work in that Californian city was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake and fire that destroyed 80 percent of San Francisco. Today, students of architecture who wish to study Wright and Sanders’ work must come to Victoria. 5. For more on Hope, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hope,_ British_Columbia. 6. “Imposing ceremony,” British Colonist, June 3, 1863: 3. http://www.britishcolonist.ca/display.php?issue=18630603. 7. This was the first corners tone laid by the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons (Freemasons) in British Columbia. 8. “Consecration of the Jewish Synagogue,” British Colonist, September 14, 1863: 3. http://www.britishcolonist.ca/display.php?issue=18630914. 9. For an image of the original document, as well as other photos related to the synagogue’s 150th anniversary, visit http://www.congregationemanu- el.ca/ee150/media/images. 10. Cyril E. Leonoff, “The Hebrew Ladies of Victoria, Vancouver Island,” The Scribe 24, nos. 1 and 2. This publication is available at http://www.jewishmuseum.ca/sites/default/files/2004_volume no 1,2.pdf. 11. Donald Luxton and Associates report, September 2010. This report is in Appendix D of Congregation Emanu-El’s 2011 funding application to Parks Canada’s National Historic Site Cost-sharing Program. ht tp://www.congregationemanu-el.ca/ee150/grant-application. 12. The Ray Rose oral history was done in support of the Valour and Duty project to honour Jewish war veterans living on Vancouver Island, in 2007. Copies of those interviews are held by the Jewish Museum and Archives of British Columbia. 13. The Congregation Emanu-El board of directors’ minute books from this period have recently been discovere d but still await scholarly study. 14. Martin Segger, Victoria: A Primer for Regional History in Architecture (Watkins Glen, N.Y.: American Life Foundation and Study Institute, 1979). 15. Martin Levin, “Victoria Rededicates B.C.’s Oldest House of Worship,” Jewish Western Bulletin, June 3, 1982: 8-9. For a reprint of the article, visit http://www.congregationemanu-el.ca/ee150/restoration. 16. GOAL Engineeri ng Ltd. report, August 19, 2010. This report is in Appendix D of Congregation Emanu-El’s 2011 funding application to Parks Canada’s Ed Fitch: Preserving, Rehabilitating and Restoring Emanu-El of Victoria 95

National Historic Site Cost-sharing Program. http://www.congregationemanu- el.ca/ee150/grant-application. 17. The cracks in the interior walls are readily visible at http://www.syna- gogues360.com/synagogues.php?ident=canada_006. 18. Thurber Engineering Ltd. report, June 30, 2010. This report is in Appendix D of Congregation Emanu-El’s 2011 funding application to Parks Canada’s National Historic Site C ost-sharing Program. http://www.congregationemanu- el.ca/ee150/grant-application. 19. Basically, a trench was excavated around the desired footprint of the building into which were thrown large rocks. The hole was then covered with lime slurry. Portland cement had been invented some 40 years earlier but was not yet in wide use. 20. Read Jones Christoffersen Consulting Engineers report, September 24, 2010. This report is in Appendix D of Congregation Emanu-El’s 2011 funding application to Parks Canada’s National Historic Site Cost-sharing Program. http://www.congregationemanu-el.ca/ee150/grant-application. 21. More on Donald Luxton and Associates can be found at http://www.donald- luxton.com. 22. Part of a conversation related in the competition interview. 23. A term commonly used in construction t o indicate degree of resistance to the passage of heat through a material. See http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/ R-value_(insulation). 24. One of the many euphemistic names for the One True G-d, Grand Architect of the Universe. 25. For more on this topic, visit http://www.cic-network.at/ index.php?id=283&L=1.

Sharon Fitch: Rabbis of Congregation Emanu-El from 1863 to 2012 97

RABBIS OF CONGREGATION EMANU-EL FROM 1863 TO 2012 By Sharon Fitch

Using material collected from various published sources written by Jewish Historical Society of British Columbia historian emeritus Cyril E. Leonoff, the following compilation is a comprehensive list of the rabbis that have been engaged by Congregation Emanu-El since its inception. To provide more richness to the information, some descriptive data has been added from the same source, as well as from an interview with community members and recollections from one of the rabbis.

Rabbi Dr. Morris R. Cohen (September 1863-1866)

There were approximately 119 Jewish families1 in Victoria at the peak of the gold rush in 1863 when the Victoria congregation, which had formed in August 1862,2 hired an Orthodox rabbi, Dr. Morris (Marcus) R. Cohen , who was described as “an intelligent and respectable rabbi.”3

Cohen, born in Poland in 1827, had migrated to the United States mid-century, to California, where he occupied the pulpit at Sacramento’s B’nai Israel.4 He arrived in Victoria in time for the consecration of Emanu-El Synagogue on September 13, 1863, and for the celebration of the High Holy Days.

The rabbi was hired for a two-year term with a salary of $150 per month.5 After completing another year, however, he departed, as the congregation was unable to afford his salary.6 In 1870, he became the founding rabbi of B’nai Jehudah, the first synagogue in Kansas City, where he died in 1890.7

The description of Cohen as a doctor is open to interpretation. In the correspondence between the rabbi and Emanu-El’s board of directors from 1863 to 1866, t here is no use of the honorific. Yet, in the British 98 T H E S C R I B E

Colonist newspaper of September 14, 1863, he is referred to as a doctor. In The Scribe of 1981, an article by Allan Klenman states, “in 1872, Rabbi Cohen felt the need [for] further education. He went to Chicago to study for his MD and, after obtaining it, he returned to Kansas City, where he functioned until his death as a mohel.”

1866-1891

During these years, the congregation engaged part-time clergymen for the High Holy Days or male volunteers from the community.8

Rev. Dr. Solomon Philo (March 1891- April 1894)

On March 29, 1891, the synagogue board approved the employment of the Rev. Dr. Solomon Philo as “minister and teacher” at a salary of $100 per month.9 An article in the Daily Colonist newspaper described him as “an eloquent preacher, a profound scholar and a graduate of the Breslau College of Germ any.”10

In April 1894, Philo moved to Vancouver, becoming the founding rabbi of the Reform Temple Emanu-El there.11

Miss Rachel (Ray) Frank (1895)

In 1895, Miss Rachel (Ray) Frank of Oakland, Calif., described as a popular lay preacher, was hired to officiate during the High Holy Days. She was the first woman to preach from Emanu-El’s pulpit.12 Her agent arranged a deal with the synagogue for payment of $100 plus a steamer ticket – and Frank was paid $125 for her services.13

Rev. Dr. M. Lenczer (fall 1897-July 1898)

Rev. Dr. M. Lenczer was brought in from Oakland, Calif., and was Emanu-El’s spiritual leader for the High Holidays for $150, and then $75 a month to remain. However, by the end of July 1898, because he felt he could not live on this salary, he was released from his contract.14 Sharon Fitch: Rabbis of Congregation Emanu-El from 1863 to 2012 99

Rev. M. Klinkowstein (1899-1900)

Rev. M. Klinkowstein was described as “a profound and ripe scholar, a thorough Talmudist and linguist, he being master of five languages.”15 He was hired by Emanu-El at $900 a year, but lasted less than a year as the congregation was unable to raise the funds needed to keep him.16

Rev. Montague N.A. Cohen (August 1901-March 1903)

Rev. Montague N.A. Cohen was a rabbi and mohel from Manchester, England. The congregation agreed to his asking salary of $1,000 annually17 and his beginning tenure is noted as being August 10, 1901. Two years later, in March 1903, the synagogue executive received his resignation amid the congregation’s strained financial circumstances.18 JMABC L.08624 JMABC

Rabbi Morris R. Cohen, centre, in the Jewish Times newspaper, portraits of Temple Emanu-El executive and the rabbi, 1901. 100 T H E S C R I B E

1903-1910

During this seven-year period, Congregation Emanu-El did not have a full-time rabbi.

Rev. Dr. Elias Friedlander (October 1910-1913)

The congregation hired Rev. Dr. Elias Friedlander in 1910 at a salary of $1,500 per annum.

Friedlander was born in Russia in 1846, received his rabbinical training in Germany, and served in pulpits in England, British Jamaica, Montreal, Winnipeg and Vancouver, bef ore coming to Victoria.19 Although his first tenure as rabbi ended in 1913, he would return to lead the congregation for the High Holidays from 1914-1918, and re-take the pulpit on a regular basis in 1919.

Rabbi J.E. Elkin (1913)

Rabbi J.E. Elkin, who was hired in 1913, lasted less than a year at Congregation Emanu-El’s pulpit.

1914-1918 FITCH SHARON

Rev. Dr. Elias Friedlander presided over the congregation during the High Holidays.

Rev. Dr. Elias Friedlander (May 1919-December 1920)

After the First World War, Rev. Dr. Elias Friedlander, at the age of

The gravestone of Dr. Elias Friedlander. Sharon Fitch: Rabbis of Congregation Emanu-El from 1863 to 2012 101

70, returned for a second term at Congregation Emanu-El, which began May 16, 1919, and ended December 9, 1920. When he died in 1927 at the age of 78, he was the first rabbi to be buried in the city’s Jewish cemetery.20

1920-1927

It seems that there was no full-time rabbi of the congregation during these years.

Rabbi Jack Levy (October 1927-December 1929)

Rabbi Jack Levy, whose term as rabbi began October 16, 1927, proved to be a controversial figure. In December 1929, he broadcast a prize fight over the radio. This caused a scandal and he was asked to resign, whereupon he departed for Oakland, Calif.21

Rabbi Marcus Berner (1931-1941) L.00254 JMABC

Rabbi Marcus Berner arrived in Victoria in 1931 from Hirsh, Sask. Due to the difficulties of the Depression, Berner was willing to work for what the community could afford.22 He died in 1941 and is buried in the Victoria Jewish Cemetery.

Rabbi Marcus Berner of Hirsch and Victoria, 1899-1941. This photo was taken in 1940.

Rabbi Efraim Levy (circa 1942 or 1943)

Sonya Rose met Rabbi Efraim Levy on a trip to Australia and recruited him.23 He had been the chief rabbi of Australia and South Africa, and a rabbi in Montreal. After he was hired, “the troubles started.” 102 T H E S C R I B E

The rabbi had bought a car and, without authorization, charged it to the synagogue, which led to his being fired immediately.24

1942/43-1971 FITCH SHARON

Congregation Emanu-El could not support a full-time rabbi for almost 30 years. Learned members in the community acted as spiritual leaders in the absence of a rabbi. Dr. Jacob Narod conducted services in the 1940s and 1950s,25 as did Max Menkes and The bimah in the restored Emanu-El is dedicated in Dr. Jacob Narod’s honour. Mort Raels. The bimah (pulpit) in the restored synagogue is dedicated in Narod’s honour.

Rabbi Wilfred Solomon, when he was spiritual leader of Vancouver’s Congregation Beth Israel, was consulted for questions of law and ritual and was the long-time honorary rabbi of Victoria.26

Rabbi Emil Klein (1971-1974)

Rabbi Emil Klein was born in Czechoslovakia. For many years prior to coming to Canada, he served congregations i n France. During the Holocaust, the French Resistance helped him hide from the Nazis. He came to Victoria from Medicine Hat, Alta., and stayed until ill health forced him to retire.27

Rabbi Daniel Siegel (1974-1976)

Writes Rabbi Daniel Siegel of his time at Congregation Emanu-El:

“Hanna and I, with our two young sons, Noah and Shefa, arrived just before Pesach in 1975, and our first ‘officiation’ was at the community seder. I was born a Canadian in New York and my first pulpit was in Thunder Bay. My understanding was that the immediate previous Sharon Fitch: Rabbis of Congregation Emanu-El from 1863 to 2012 103 rabbi or rabbis were generally semi-retired and the community had been mostly in the same age bracket as the rabbi. This had changed with the NDP [New Democratic Party] government, which had brought in younger civil servants, several of whom were Jewish and had children. When we arrived, the president of the community was Charles Dalfen, then deputy minister of transport and communications and, late r, chair of the CRTC [Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission].

“It was during my tenure that we began the process by which the congregation became egalitarian. Out of respect to those who were not in favour, we established an alternating week schedule where we gave aliyot [the honour of being called to the Torah] to women half the time. With only two exceptions that I can remember, everyone who came to shul came every week, regardless of which week in the rotation it was. It was an amazing experience to stand next to women as they received their first-ever aliyot and got to look into the Torah scroll from so close, an experience that often moved them to tears.

“Instead of sermons, I gave divrei Torah, which, while commonplace now, was an innovation then. We also began a monthly Friday evening early service followed by a potluck supper, which was well attended by all age groups, and led to the formation of special grandparent-like connections between our elders and the children (often based on a child’s favourite dessert!). We also encouraged families to come on Shabbat morning rather than to the late Friday evening services, allowing for the kind of quiet dignity the elders preferred at those services.

“We left the congregation in June of 1976 and moved to Philadelphia for a year before returning to Vancouver as the Hillel director in 1977.”28

Rabbi Leo Abrami (1976-1977)

Rabbi Leo Abrami was from France. His wife had family ties to Victoria.29 104 T H E S C R I B E

Rabbi Harvey Markowitz (1979-1981)

Rabbi Harvey Markowitz, from Buffalo, N.Y., came to Congregation Emanu-El with his wife and two children.

Rabbi Victor Hillel Reinstein (July 1982-July 1998)30

Rabbi Victor, as he was known, is originally from Boston, and his family came from Lewiston, Maine, where he had served four years in his first pulpit.31 Rabbi Victor had a keen interest in social services and was politically active in the peace movement.

In July 1998, after he had served the congregation for 16 years, the longest tenure of any rabbi in Emanu-El’s history to date, the Reinstein family returned to the Boston area.32

1998-2000

There was no rabbi at Congregation Emanu-El during these years.

Rabbi David Seidenberg (2000-2001)

Rabbi David Seidenberg was originally from California.

Rabbi Harry Brechner (2 001-present)33

Rabbi Harry, as he is known, is originally from Long Island, N.Y. He studied education at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and finished his degree at the University of Washington, in Seattle. While in the Pacific Northwest, he taught children and was director of Camp Solomon Schechter in Washington. He went on to rabbinical studies at the University of Judaism in Los Angeles, and continued at the Jewish Theological Seminary, dividing his time between the United States and Israel, where he served as a combat medic in the Israel Defence Forces. He was ordained in 1998 and his previous posting was as an administrator of three Jewish schools in New Orleans.34 Sharon Fitch: Rabbis of Congregation Emanu-El from 1863 to 2012 105

ENDNOTES

1. Cyril E. Leonoff, “Pioneer Jews of British Columbia,” Western States Jewish History (WSJH), nos. 3 and 4, and The Scribe 25, nos. 1 and 2 (Spring/Summer 2005): 21. 2. Ibid., 9. 3. Ibid., 9. 4. Ibid., 27. 5. Allan Klenman, “Three Letters,” The Scribe, no. 11 (March 1982): 5. 6. Leonoff, 33. 7. Ibid., 102. 8. Ibid., 41. 9. Ibid., 42. 10. Ibid., 45. 11. Ibid., 49. 12. Ibid., 55. 13. Ibid., 56. 14. Ibid., 57. 15. “The Pacific Coast,” a letter written by D. Hart, originally published in the Jewish Times, March 16, 1900, and republished in The Scribe, no. 22 ( June 1985): 3. 16. Leonoff, 58. 17. Ibid., 62. 18. Ibid., 69. 19. Ibid., 71. 20. Ibid., 71. 21. Michael F.H. Halleran, “The Rabbis of Victoria, The First Seventy-Five Years,” The Scribe, no. 11 (March 1982): 8. 22. Ibid., 8. 23. Interview with Ray and Annette Rose by Sharon Fitch, August 15, 2012. 24. Eddy Mallek’s recollection of this years as president of Congregation Emanu- El, The Scribe, no. 23 (September 1985): 2. 25. “Late Dr. Jacob H. Narod Honoured,” The Scribe, no. 10 (December 1981): 2. 26. “The Rabbis of Victoria Part 2,” Michael F.H. Halleran, The Scribe, no. 14 (December 1982): 2. 27. Ibid., 3. 28. Written document fro m Rabbi Daniel Siegel, September 21, 2012. 29. Halleran, The Scribe (December 1982), 3. 30. For more about Rabbi Victor Hillel Reinstein, see the From the JHSBC Collection: Oral History Excerpts – Congregation Emanu-El section in this issue of The Scribe. 31. Leonoff, 75. 106 T H E S C R I B E

32. Leonoff, 77. 33. For more about Rabbi Harry Brechner, see the From the JHSBC Collection: Oral History Excerpts – Congregation Emanu-El section in this issue of The Scribe. 34. Pat Johnson, “New Rabbi for Oldest Shul,” Jewish Independent, October 26, 2001. From the JHSBC Collection: Oral History Excerpts – 150 Years of Emanu-El 107

FROM THE JHSBC COLLECTION: ORAL HISTORY EXCERPTS – 150 YEARS OF CONGREGATION EMANU-EL

Josephine Lancaster and Daisy Minchin Interviewed by Cyril E. Leonoff, July 23, 1972, Victoria, B.C.; 19.72-13.

CL: I’m talking to Mrs. L.06604 JMABC LEONOFF; E. CYRIL PHOTOGRAPHER: Josephine Lancaster and Mrs. [Daisy] Minchin. And the two of you were born in Victoria? What year were you born in?

DM: 1892.

JL: 1893.

CL: Very close together. And you’re [first] cousins.

*** JL: There weren’t many real young people, were there?

DM: No, the year that Montague Cohen was rabbi was the only year we had a Daisy Salmon Minchin and Josephine Salmon Lancaster, Empress Hotel, Victoria, summer school here. Any B.C., 1972. Hebrew that I learned or anything of that kind, you know, was the year that he was here, and ... there was a confirmation. He had five that were confirmed and that was a big deal. 108 T H E S C R I B E

CL: Is he the earliest rabbi that you can remember?

DM: Oh no, no.

JL: There was a Rabbi Philo here.

DM: Philo married my parents.

JL: At the time of my mother’s wedding, too.

DM: Did he officiate when they were married?

JL: I don’t know.

DM: He did when my mother and father were. And then we didn’t have a rabbi for years, just a person in the congregation; my father was for a while and then, Hartman?

JL: An d Isadore Lancaster for many years. They gave their services, they didn’t take anything for it.

Martin Levin Speaking on the restoration of Congregation Emanu-El, with Cyril E. Leonoff and Allan Klenman in attendance, June 7, 1983, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C.; 19.83-11.

What I’d like to do today is to talk to you a bit about the history of the synagogue and then, as you can see, sh ow you some slides of the restoration. We heard earlier this afternoon, and I know you heard yesterday, about a part of Jewish history in Canada, which is in some sense not an unfamiliar tale. It’s a tale of antisemitism, of Jewish persecution, of discrimination, of Jewish suffering. And, for all of us, I think we’re all too aware of that kind of Jewish history. But, what I want to offer you today is another kind of Jewish history that, unfortunately, is all too rare but in fact does exist – a history that’s From the JHSBC Collection: Oral History Excerpts – 150 Years of Emanu-El 109 filled with a story of brother- L.15026 JMABC FONDS; BULLETIN WESTERN JEWISH COLLECTION: hood, of human fraternity, of sharing, of a remarkably ecumenical and joyous nature. And, it’s a history that I think is equally important ... and I’m going to tell you some of it today.

This week, in fact, almost to the day, marks the 120th anniversary of the founding of Canada’s oldest surviving synagogue, the synagogue in Victoria. It was actually incorporated a year after its founding ... as “The Emanuel of Victoria, Vancouver Island.” When the synagogue was founded, it was founded by ... Provincial Secretary Evan Wolfe, left, and a relative handful of Jews.... restoration committee chairman Martin Levin, Victoria, B.C., 1982. Most of them came from the United States, many from England, but some from as far away as Germany or Australia, New Zealand. They somehow all ended up on the shores of Vancouver Island and they were drawn to Victoria because it was the major port and trading centre at that time, and it was the jumping off point for the gold rush, and here a considerable number of Jews decided to stay.

Well, within a few years after those first arrivals, they decided to found a congregation. First, they held High Holiday services in a private house in 1858, they then founded a cemetery, a benevolent society and, then, in 1862, they formed a congregation and, I quote, “Where as, according to the holy ordinances of the House of Israel, it is highly necessary to adhere to the religion thereof, and to attend to the dying and burying of the dead, and whereas the Israelites of 110 T H E S C R I B E

Victoria, B.C., are desirous to fulfill the ordinances of our venerated and holy religion, which is being continuously handed down to us by our forefathers, therefore, we hereby unite and form ourselves into the congregation this fifth day of Elul and the year 5622, corresponding with the 31st day of August 1862.”

And so, the congregation was born. And once it was born, it was quickly decided to erect a synagogue, and a campaign was launched to raise funds for purchase of a piece of land, which was indeed purchased that year ... and, for helping erecting this synagogue, they appealed to ... their own local Jewish brethren, as well as to their adoptive wider community of Victoria, as well as to their co- religionists in San Francisco from whence many had come. The list of contributors to the fund . .. contains, of course, many Jewish names but what is surprising is that it contains many non-Jewish names as well. In fact, many non-Jews made substantial contributions to the building of the synagogue.

But ... the most dramatic testimony to the spirit of fellowship and harmony that existed in that early pioneer society was the cornerstone laying ceremony that was held on June 2, 1863. It was a gala day for the whole city.... The whole town turned out to see the procession, which was led by a band from the HMS Topaze, a British ship in Esquimalt Harbour. All the ethnic societies of the day ... participated in this parade along with the congregation. And, they marched through this new town to the Masonic temple, which had just been founded a year or two earlier and was the first Masonic temple to be founded in British Columbia, and, here, 70 Masons of the Ancient and Honourable Order of Pre-Masons joined them. And the procession grew larger and larger as they marched ... to the synagogue site.

Once they reached the synagogue site, prayers were uttered, speeches were made, and Mr. [Samuel] Hoffman, the vice- president of the congregation, addressed the assemblage at length, pointing out with pride that the scattered tribe of Israel, even in From the JHSBC Collection: Oral History Excerpts – 150 Years of Emanu-El 111 this isolated part of the globe, I quote, “... have each and all striven manfully to uphold that religion which has been handed down to us by our forefathers.”

The Masons performed their customary ritual and a cornerstone was laid in the northeast corner of the synagogue, with a deposit being made of a hermetically sealed bottle in which was placed a vellum scroll and copies of the constitutions of the Mason ic order, and, in a separate cornerstone, the congregation made their deposit in a copper box. And, we have from those days in the archives many of the original bills and correspondence from the founding of the synagogue and ... and I have a Xerox of it; a bill, for instance, for five dollars to buy 50 cigars for the band in appreciation of the fine music that they played for the parade. There’s another bill for 20 dollars to hire an omnibus, a large wagon to bring the band over from Esquimalt to Victoria to participate in the parade.

Well, the newly elected first mayor of Victoria, the chief justice of the colony, participated in the ceremony and, by all accounts, it was a remarkable day in the life of the early British Columbia. I think, when one reads about this ceremony and the widespread participation, that we can conclude that few synagogues in this these last 2,000 years of life in the Diaspora began under such auspicious circumstances and with such widespread participation and support. The raising of funds and the dedication of the synagogue had very much been a whole community affair.... The British Colonist, which was the daily newspaper of the day, devoted almost two full columns to an account of the ceremony....

Well, it was an unusual group of people, of men and women who arrived in that early colony, and their accomplishments can certainly be favourably compared with the towns and achievements of any similar pioneer Jewish community in North America. Proud of their own religious and cultural identity, as we’ve seen, they also, as we heard this morning, actively contribut ed to the business, cultural and political life of the colony. From their ranks were drawn the third Jew 112 T H E S C R I B E to be elected to a legislature in British North America, Solomon Franklin, in 1860, the first Jew to be elected mayor in British North America; Lumley Franklin, who became Victoria’s second mayor, in 1866; as well, the first here to be sent to the Canadian House of Commons, who was Henry Nathan, Jr., who was elected from Victoria in 1871, immediately after British Columbia joined Confederation. None of this would have been possible, of course, if there’d not been an easy acceptance and general congeniality in this early settlement society.

Well, these early Jews, of course, had built with some vision and dedication. Although they numbered perhaps [as many as] 200, they built [a] synagogue that could accommodate twice that many because they anticipated that many Jews would come and the Jewish community of Victoria would flourish. Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out that way, and, with ... the terminus [of ] the CPR ... in Vancouver, much of the growth and commerce shifted over to Vancouver, regrettably, and Victoria became something of a backwater and, certainly for the Jewish community in particular, it went into a long decline. And so, for virtually the whole next century, the size of the commun ity was never again to be as large as it was in those early years of the founding of the congregation and the building of the synagogue.

In 1948, it was decided to modernize the building and, if you recall the 1940s, those of you who are old enough, you know people were in love with things modern at that time and so they covered it over with stucco, they took out the beautiful central doors ... they dropped in a false ceiling and, in the process, obliterated and destroyed the traditional gallery. And so, what I would like to do now, is to take 15 minutes or so and show you the slides of the way the synagogue looked when it was built in 1863, what happened to it in the 1940s, and what we went through in restoring it. And we’re fortunate as well in having another member of the restoration committee here, Allan Klenman, who can also speak with some authority of the joy and also the anguish of that four-year project. So, if we can close the curtains ... we’ll have a look at the slides. From the JHSBC Collection: Oral History Excerpts – 150 Years of Emanu-El 113 PHOTOGRAPHER: FREDRICK DALLY;FREDRICK PHOTOGRAPHER: L.06630 JMABC

Emanu-El Synagogue, circa 1866-1870.

What you are looking at is the oldest extant photograph of the synagogue, which dates from around 1870.... You see the woman and her two children sitting on the steps of the synagogue in traditional dress of 1870.

There is that list I’d mentioned to you which has been preserved to this day, the original subscription list, which dates from 1862.... And it’s a long list, and Allan Klenman has personally transcribed it. Here’s a close-up shown of just the top of that list ... and I think it’s dated ... November 26, 1862, when the subscription list was begun....

Now, it’s interesting that the synagogue has a significant architectural legacy.... It was built by one of the first professional architects in the Victoria locale, who was not Jewish but obviously he ... drew on designs that were provided to him either by the local congregation or that he found elsewhere. These are synagogues that were built around the same time, that is around the middle of the 19th century, on the eastern coast of the United States, and they still have that, the corbelling along the roofline, the tripartite façade, the semicircle windows, the rose window in the middle and so on. And then this is what happened to o ur synagogue in 1948 with the modernization. They simply stuccoed everything over: the doors and the windows, 114 T H E S C R I B E and all that was left of those handsome central doors was a little fire-escape exit.

And, just to give you some idea what it looked like, we’ll do a quick tour around. They’d also tacked on an exit on the Pandora side, on one of the street sides, which, of course, we had to remove but, you see, there’s a layer of windows going across the bottom and along the gallery, along the top, and those are just c ompletely covered over with stucco.

That’s a shot from above, and you see that that capped area at the very top of the roof, and that was where the seven-foot-diameter skylight had been, and they had taken that out in the modernization period and that, too, disappeared, and they simply capped it over with the with wood....

The back, we just assumed they ran out of stucco, at any rate they left the back alon e.

And this is from the other side, the Johnson Street side. You can see ... the kind of wear and tear, deterioration, of a building that was well into its second century.

Now, this is the earliest photograph we have ... this is ... the interior, the way it looked before the modernization, before they dropped in a false ceiling. You see in the foreground, that’s a pot-bellied stove, which they used for heat, right in the bottom centre foreground. You see the vaulted ceilings. Now, this is what happened to it when they did the modernization. Unfortunately, the light makes it look more glowy and mellow than it really was – it was more like a fortress womb. The false ceiling was dropped in place so that you ... sat on one side of the gallery and, on the other side, the ark was truncated by half to two-thirds. They cut off the columns and dropped them down, the pews had gone and, in [their] place were old theatre seats. There are no windows ... and the only access to the area above the false ceiling was by means of a step ladder through a small, little trap From the JHSBC Collection: Oral History Excerpts – 150 Years of Emanu-El 115 door and there are members of the congregation who’d never ... been above the false ceiling.

That’s the bimah.

Those were a couple of the few remaining pews that were left and they served as the model for us when we made up the pews once again when we restored the building.

Now, we go above the false ceiling, and this gives you some idea of what happened as a result of being cut off from heat ... as well as what happened from neglect and the moisture coming into the building. You see the plaster broken away, the lath had broken away; it was in very rough shape, indeed.

That gives you some idea what the false ceiling looked like. It was a system ... of planks, boards set like a tent, in effect, each side resting on one of the two galleries, and you can see how a good deal of the ark at the east face, or front, of the building was really invisible to the congregation because it rose above the false ceiling.... And, where the gallery seating had been, and the wainscoting – all that had been ripped out as a result of dropping in this false ceiling. They even cut off some of the columns there to make room for the false ceiling to be put in place....

Now, we move outside, and you can see as well how even the stucco is beginning to deteriorate ... we removed that little exit that you saw on the Pandora side, and replaced it with the proper window that belonged there, and the first step ... was to take off all the stucco, which we did, and ... what we uncovered was windows that were badly deteriorated, you see there the frame, the sash, what bad shape it was in the surrounding area.

And that’s what it looked like once we had gotten the stucco off. What we discovered was that it had been painted underneath several times, and the brick was made of very soft brick of 120 years ago, and 116 T H E S C R I B E you couldn’t sandblast it to clean it because it would pit and erode, so we finally found a firm in Kansas City, Missouri ... that provided a chemical process that you could just paint it on and wash it off and the bricks would come beautifully clean. And, indeed, we had to wait three months for it to arrive – we ... were told it’d been held up at the border because the directions were only in English, and not in English and French; we thought it should’ve been English and Hebrew. At any rate, you can see the difference that it made ... in order to provide a flat surface for the adhesion of the stucco coating, they’d knocked off all the protruding brickwork, and so all the fancy-shaped bricks – and there were 11 kinds of fancy-shaped bricks incorporated in the design – all of those were destroyed as the result of applying this stucco and ... we had to then find someplace in North America that could make up bricks to the consistency and colour and especially shape so that we could replace those bricks, and we finally found one in Vancouver, Washington....

Then we moved inside, and you see there the remaining half of this false-ceiling structure removed and half of it still in place, but that was one of the exciting moments of the restoration because, for the first time in almost four decades, we could look up and see the vaulted ceiling and where the skylight had been. And you see very clearly the outline of where this ceiling had been ... and you can see as well the destruction they’d wrought on the two balconies.

What happened as we got down to the floor – and we’d been told that there were two layers of flooring there and that the original layer, the first layer, was the original floor and that it was sound – and we got down there and discovered that it wasn’t, and that had to all be taken out. We then got down to the floor joists, the big beams that go from one side of the building to the other, which, in effect, support the building, and we’d been told by our technical experts that the floor joists were sound, and we discovered that they weren’t either, so they had be taken out....

CL: That’s where we ran into trouble. From the JHSBC Collection: Oral History Excerpts – 150 Years of Emanu-El 117

ML: OK, we ... took out all of the floor joists and got down to bare dirt, and the synagogue was just an empty shell ... this bare dirt was what our experts called vegetable soil, it grew things, and that we couldn’t leave this vegetable soil there, we had to get down to clay. So, we brought in this little bulldozer that, with about half-inch to spare on either side, could come between the central doors, and it was roaring up and down inside the synagogue, cleaning out this whole layer of vegetable soil. And that was probably the darkest moment of the whole restoration because it, first of all, it cost us $50,000 that we hadn’t anticipated ... and, secondly, to see this synagogue ... where a few months before people were standing and praying, really disconcerted us. And, moreover, our experts to ld us [that] with the floor joists out, they were quite nervous because the walls could collapse in on themselves and they were very concerned that we should get this flooring ... out very quickly so they could put back in solid foundations once more....

And rather than go back to the pot-bellied stove, which our congregation thought was a bit much in the interests of fidelity, we put in a special kin d of heating system, which was a system of electrical cables running underneath the floor. The advantage of that was it was an unobtrusive system and doesn’t affect the heritage character of the building.

And then we moved up in the whole foyer area and the stairs that existed earlier that provided means of access to the two sides of the gallery – that all had to be reconstructed, recreated because it had simply been ripped out in the modernization of the 1940s....

And the rose window, which I’d shown you earlier, you see what rough shape that was in ... and we began to take it out and the whole area above it started to crack and break, so our experts then said it wouldn’t be safe to take it out, so we found someone who could work on it in place, and we found a wonderful artisan who created a great scaffolding and, for two weeks, with little bits of wood and little saws and glue, he recreated the rose window, the wooden part of it on site, 118 T H E S C R I B E and then, for another week, he erected large scaffolding outside and, again, painstakingly worked on the exterior of it. And it was a wonderful sight watching him do that.

And then we move to the ark area, to recreate it ... so here you see [the] plaster of Paris mould being made for the arch above the ark, and there you see it being put in place. It was made in that semicircle, having [been] made in the shop in four pieces and then assembled on site.

And the [front] doors, as I mentioned, they were taken out, [and they] disappeared, and so we had to blow up our photograph, one of our early photographs, in great detail to make out the detail of the door, and then our heritage experts did the drawings and again they could be created precisely. Allan?

AK: At this time, I would appreciate it – because it’s important to me personally – [to mention] the people who are doing some of the work and the help we had from the different departments.

ML: Sure. One of the essential features ... was that we had involved at a very early stage experts from the heritage conservation branch of the provincial government, and they ended up in fact doing all the drawings and technical specifications, and they did it for free, which made an enormous difference, of course, to our budget. And then, as well, we ran into problems, and the doors are a good example, as Allan mentioned, where there’s no expertise any longer in the private sector – there weren’t artisans any longer around who could do the kind of work that was necessary, that was done 120 years [ago] almost, so we managed to convince some deputy minister, ministers, actually, in the provincial government to let us have the use of the workers, the artisans and workers who were restoring the Legislature in Victoria, for free, again, and so we had ... the crew from the Legislature, who remade those doors, who did some of the wood graining, also that plastering you saw a few minutes ago, all that was done by people from the crew restoring the Legislature, so we were very fortunate, indeed. From the JHSBC Collection: Oral History Excerpts – 150 Years of Emanu-El 119

And here is where we begin getting ready to paint, and that’s a lot of scraping going on, and the balusters, as I said, all the railing around had been destroyed by the imposition of the false ceiling, and so we had to remake the balusters.... And there you see the first two in place, which was very exciting, and then you see all of them in place, and there are almost 320 balusters, spindles that are incorporated in ... the gallery railing that goes around the upper level of the synagogue.

And the stained glass, we knew from the black and white photographs that the windows had originally had three different colours, that we could tell by the shadings, but we didn’t know what they were, so here we exercised a little bit of our own discretion and we chose a blue and a turquoise and ... greyish central panels....

The pews were made by a church pew maker down east who’d been in business for over a century, and he made up the pews to our specifications. The wainscoting along the walls there, all that had to be recreated, the spacious panel that goes all around the bottom of the gallery, that all had to be done again, and that was done by a crew from the Legislature again....

We didn’t stop there of course. They had replaced the original wooden stairs with other stairs in the intervening century, so we went back and recreated the original stairs....

And, I’d mentioned how all the protruding work was knocked off, including the fancy work that was around the doors, and so we found a local sculptor, who ... did all that fancy work, again based on detailed blow-ups of photographs, and there you see it just being done, leaf mould above the columns and at the bottom of the columns....

And ... towards the end, one of the last things ... was to replace the skylight. And no one could quite recall exactly what the skylight had looked like. And there you see it being pulled up in quarter sections.... [A] subcommittee of our restoration committee just worked 120 T H E S C R I B E on a design with the stained glass artists, and there you see it actually being installed on the roof of the synagogue....

And, finally, one of the last things we did was to put in place the original fence that went around the exterior of the building, and there you see it being done ... that duplicates exactly the original fence from 1864.

And there you see the synagogue restored, and you can put a picture of the restored synagogue beside the original picture and it’s very difficult to tell the difference.

Now, let me step back a moment actually. Our object throughout was to be as faithful and authentic in our restoration as possible, and one of the unexpected but wonderful bonuses is that we ended up being awarded a prize by the Hallmark Society of Greater Victoria, which is the heritage society, and they gave us the prize for the most significant restoration project in Greater Victoria over the last few years. And ... [the] heritage society of Canada ... Pierre Berton’s president of that, and they gave us the prize ... and then we’ve got a prize from a Northern American heritage association, an award of merit. So, we ended up getting a local award, a national award and a North American award , and we’re now waiting for a world award, so if any of you know of anybody that represents the world.

We then, once this was done, we decided we would reenact the events of 1863, and some of you were there, and we restaged the march through town. We invited the ethnic societies to join us, the Masons joined us.... [We] marched through downtown Victoria, led by a band again, and it was the first time I’d ever marched in a parade and, I must say, it ... was the most exciting time I’d ever had.... And there you see our sign, and there you see some of the crowd. And there you see the Masons lined up, and there were six to eight hundred Masons who participated and they were excited and thrilled, and they were an integral part of the ceremony because they reenacted the cornerstone laying ceremony that they had performed 119 years earlier. And it From the JHSBC Collection: Oral History Excerpts – 150 Years of Emanu-El 121 was televised ... on a local channel, as well as CBC made a special program of it. And we had the premier and the chief justice of the province, just as they had the chief justice of the colony earlier, and the leader of the opposition, and ... the mayor, and it was a gala day.... And there you see, we had a choir, we didn’t have a German choral society [group], but we did have the choir from [Congregation ] Beth Israel in Vancouver ... and they were wonderful. And there you see some of them singing, with their mouths open.

And it was televised, as I mentioned, and Mike, the fellow sitting down on the right, was a member of the committee, Mike Goldberg, and he’s talking, he provided part of the commentary and the other one was a professional commentator.

And there you see the plaque we put up, which says Congregation Emanu-El, constructed 1863 restored 1982. And there you see it once again.

That’s it.

*** Question from audience: Can I ask a question? How much are you still in loss?

ML: OK, the congregation was small when we began the project, we had something like 70 memberships ... [there was] concern that this project was beyond our physical and financial resources and, unfortunately, we don’t have any captains of commerce or tycoons of industry in our congregation. So, we were authorized to go ahead with the project as long as we raised money solely without any additional levy on our congregation. We could approach our congregation for further voluntary contributions, but there would be no addition to the due[s]. And so, [when] we launched this restoration effort, we had an estimate that it would cost about a quarter million dollars.... [W]hen we had the $100,000 that we were told would be the cost of the exterior in hand, we began the restoration because we 122 T H E S C R I B E did it in two stages, the exterior first and then the interior.... [W]hen we completed the exterior ... we moved inside, and we didn’t have all the money in hand to do the inside so, by the time we pulled the inside, of course, now several years had elapsed and we discovered problems we hadn’t anticipated so, in the end, to pay off the last contractor, we had to borrow $40,000. And we then went out to raise that money and, last January/February, I guess about three months ago, we paid off the last of that debt and we now have the synagogue once again totally debt free.

CL: What is the total cost?

ML: The total cost was around $365,000 ... if we hadn’t had all those free services, it would have cost over half a million for sure, so we did it really remarkably cheaply. What we discovered was [that] r estoring an old building is a very complicated process and you require specialized craftsmen, specialized materials. For instance, just to recreate the floor – the floor had been made of fir of an unusual width that no mills make anymore, so we had to locate a mill somewhere in British Columbia that would do a special run for us of that kind of wood with that kind of width, and we ran into that kind o f problem time and time again, so almost everything had to be handcrafted, handmade, specially produced for the restoration.

CL: Did you ever determine where the bricks came from, did [they] come from England or....

ML: No.... We don’t know where they came [from].

CL: Another question ... is there a slate roof for restoring...?

ML: Yes, I think there’s no question about that. There was a slate roof [but] we have left the roof as is [from the modernization] and it’s no longer a slate roof because locating slate and putting on a slate roof would [have been] an enormous undertaking and we decided we would stop. From the JHSBC Collection: Oral History Excerpts – 150 Years of Emanu-El 123

CL: This was done here recently in Vancouver in the old Rogers Mansion, where they decided to replace the slate roof for historical reasons. It was very difficult apparently to find craftsmen. I think the roof cost them something like $50,000.

ML: It’s a very expensive proposition; we checked it out.... [The] whole fundraising thing ... was just a remarkable experience. Sometimes, we were left near tears at the mean-spiritedness of some people; other times, we were left in helpless laughter. I mean, one lady wanted to give us a broken down black and white television set in place of money, another one offered us free copies of his book he’d written. But then many times we were delighted and jubilated with the generosity of people when we approached them.

*** Well, let me ... conclude then briefly this story because, as I’ve indicated, it really does have a happy ending. It has a happy ending in a number of ways. One, that it’s built great strong bridges to the Christian community, who have gotten involved with us, and we with them, in a way that had never been true before, as a result of the restoration. And we had open houses twice, two evenings, to both Christian laity and clergy and ... the second evening, we had to turn people away – there were over 400 people there. And we’ve received donations and contributions, and I’ve spoken to over 50 groups personally in the community, to church groups, to historical societies, to senior citizens, to classrooms of kids, to service clubs, to ladies clubs, all kinds of groups who’ve been interested in the synagogue. So, that was a kind of unanticipated benefit but a very real one.

It’s also a happy ending in terms of all the heritage awards we’ve received, which, again, we didn’t anticipate but it’s a wonderful bonus in terms of all the work that we did. It also is a happy ending because our membership now, I think probably in the last few years, is for the first time larger than it was when our founders came in the 1860s. And I was checking with our membership secretary the other day and 124 T H E S C R I B E we stand at over 150 memberships, family memberships, most of those are family memberships, so we number perhaps some 500 Jews, and that’s the largest we’ve ever been and the community has been flourishing as it never has before. And I think some of it can be attributed to the success of the restoration and the feeling of pride that Jews have in Victoria for the first time because ... despite the great beginnings of the early founders, for much of the intervening century, the community was rather invisible and people, I think, in Victoria, to some extent, in the Jewish community, have a kind of inferiority complex, and I think the restoration certainly brought us out of the closet and has been a great success.

But, perhaps the nicest part of the story is that ... the story of the founding of the synago gue and the restoration of the synagogue both provide evidence that the sad and tragic history of Jews living in a gentile or non-Jewish society is not inevitable. It offers, for those who wish to find it, proof that another kind of relationship between Jew and gentile, between Jew and neighbour, is possible – a relationship, in the words of that early British Colonist article that I quoted a moment a go, “characterized by the hearty goodwill and brotherly feeling.” And, I think, if there’s any lesson to be learned from the story of the founding of Canada’s oldest surviving synagogue and the restoration, it’s that.... Thank you.

I. Rena Robinson Phillips Interviewed by Cyril E. Leonoff, November 8, 1983, Seattle, Wash.; 19.83-08.

CL: [You were born in 1898.] What was life like growing up in Victoria at that time?

IRRP: Almost like it is now, except for the big buildings ... [and] more social life because there wasn’t so much doing [then]. We had a big dance hall and we got together ... the whole Jewish community together and we had dances once a month and get-togethers. The From the JHSBC Collection: Oral History Excerpts – 150 Years of Emanu-El 125 women were fixing cake and somebody else fixed something else and [would] bring it there, and we had a lovely time.... The parks were beautiful and it was safe there. Victoria, to me, is so beautiful, Butchart Gardens.

*** CL: Now ... the Jewish community was very small, you say?

IRRP: It was small but close-knit.

CL: Did they have regular services?

IRRP: Every Friday night, they had the services, and eve rybody seemed to come.... We were a very friendly, lovely group there because everybody was close-knit, because maybe we were a small group.

CL: And who conducted the services? There were some rabbis at the time?... There was one by name of Friedlander.

IRRP: Yes, Friedlander, that’s right. You must remember [that] when I came there, I was about eight years old and I didn’t know any Jewish or Hebre w and, the first time I heard it, I got the giggles and they had to take me out, because, you know, if you’ve never heard it, we weren’t educated into it, you know. Later on, the folks decided that I would go through and learn the Jewish language.

Rabbi Victor Reinstein Interviewed by Nancy Micklewright, June 29, 1999, Victoria, B.C.; 19.99-37.

NM: And how do you recall the Jewish community then [in 1982 when you arrived]?

VR: It was a very, right from the start, a very warm community, and I 126 T H E S C R I B E immediately felt drawn in by the heimishness and, at that point, it was also clear, it was a very different community than it came to be in the later years of our time here.

It was clear at that point that the leadership was the older people. There [was] the president, Louis PHOTOGRAPHER: CYRIL E. LEONOFF; JMABC; L.00761 Sutker was a young man, and there were a few others that were younger, but it was clear that a lot of the leadership were certainly not of my generation ... there were really two gen- Rabbi Victor Reinstein, rabbi of erations.... It was, you know, on one Congregation Emanu-El, at his home in Victoria, 1998. hand very relaxed ... but there was also a certain degree of formality that went with, I think, some of the generation that represented more of the leadership at the time.

And it was clear early on, too, that there were people from all over; there were many Canadians but certainly very few from Victoria. There were people in the wider Jewish community who had grown up in Victoria, but the only people at the time that were really involved in the shul, that went way back, was the Rose family, Ray and Annette Rose, and Annette was not born on the island; Ray was from one of the old families ... on the island. And most everybody else had come from somewhere else. There were some who had come in the early ’50s, such as Ralph Barer and Bernice Packford, and they represented really the Jewish roots in the community, and their children were really among the only adults who had grown up in Victoria. And so, that worked both positively and negatively; there was a sense that everyone was family because no one had family here and, on the other hand, everybody came from somewhere else that had traditions that they assumed to be the way it was ... and everybody knew the way. And so, it was quite interesting to try to figure out what the elephant really was, as it were, and it was fascinating, it was unnerving at times, From the JHSBC Collection: Oral History Excerpts – 150 Years of Emanu-El 127 you know; I certainly didn’t have the experience or sense of authority to be able to, at times, to really offer direction.

It was also at a point where the community was beginning to wrestle with the question of egalitarian approaches and that was an extremely divisive issue in the community, and that was something that was important to me. I was quite traditional in my own observance and had a very strong, and have a very strong, feeling for tradition and for looking to traditional interpretation of halachah on one hand but, on the other hand, was much more open and wanted to see change.... And even when I came for the interview, recognizing at that point that the shul was not egalitarian, and I said that I was concerned about that and would really like to see it be egalitarian and that I felt uncom fortable coming to a community that was not egalitarian, and I was told at the interview not to worry, that it would be changing very soon. And, in fact, it was 13 years later that it changed and it was certainly one of the most ongoing contentious issues that we had in the community over all the years that we were here.

NM: Now, I think that, when you got here, the building, the reconstruction, was underway.

VR: It had just been completed. It was not yet designated as a National Historic Site but the renovation, the restoration, had just been completed that spring. There were a lot of pieces of it still happening but [when I arrived] the congregation was [already] back in ... the synagogue, really just getting back in, and that was exhilarating; it was really a wonderful, wonderful time to ar rive.

I’ll never forget the first time walking into the shul: [it] was on a Shabbes evening, that weekend that we came for the interview, and then they were really just back in the shul, and it was just, there was a splendor and I was just awestruck standing at the back of the shul, and it was the first of what would be countless numbers of Shabbes dinners held at the back of the shul after davening, a nd that was just such a wonderful feeling. 128 T H E S C R I B E

And the shul became, the following year ... a National Historic Site. We were here for that and participated in the ceremonies with the federal government, and were here as the shul received all kinds of awards recognizing the restoration. And it was, as I say, just a wonderful time to arrive, because it was a time of such new beginning and hope, and really of a renaissance of Jewish life in Victoria . And I think that, from the first Shabbes that we were here, the shul was always full on Shabbes and it was wonderful to know that that was happening simply because of the community. And I think there was really a feeling, as I saw even then ... that the community had undertaken this tremendous project to restore the building which, as beautiful as it was, was ultimately just a building, was brick and mortar and beautiful glass and wood, and I think there was a feeling in the community that if we did all of this and created such a beautiful building, building on the past and the history of Jewish life in Victoria, how could we not fill the building? And I think the renewal of the building really sparked a renewal of the Jewish soul in Victoria.

*** NM: Apart from the issues around egalitarian participation , what other kinds of goals did you develop or arrive here with?

VR: I think my earliest goals were to help bring out that warmth that was here in the community and, in many ways, early on, to help to consolidate what was here and to help people recognize what was here and ... the major goal that I had early on was to really build on that sense of community that was here, and to be able to work with the different groups, the different age groups. There were lots of younger people just starting to arrive and to come in who are my, our contemporaries, and older people that were still in charge, as it were, but you know, not sure, and I wanted to really be able to bridge between the groups. And so, very much, I think, my earliest goal, and I think necessarily the ongoing goal, was to help fos ter community and to be able to work together and, within that, to create all of the wonderful things of Jewish community that are so much part of From the JHSBC Collection: Oral History Excerpts – 150 Years of Emanu-El 129 what it is to be a community, of learning together and of celebrating together. And certainly one of the earliest formal goals was the Hebrew school. That really was the first and foremost very specific goal and probably took the most attention for the first several years ... that we were here.

Louis Sutker Interviewed by Jean Gerber, February 8, 2001, Victoria, B.C.; 20.01-15.

JG: When you came to Victori a, were you looking to connect with the Jewish community?

LS: No way, I wasn’t. I was what I call relatively neutral Jewishly. I didn’t hide but I didn’t really do too much.... So, when Charlotte and I were about to get married, I met Charlotte here in Victoria at a therapy workshop ... it was through that marriage that I started sticking my foot back, my feet back, into the waters. So, I wento t shul. And you can’t imagine what it was like then. It was chaotic, nobody knew what they were doing. So, the first time I’m at shul, nobody’s there who’s able to daven. So, they say, “Can anybody do this?” I knew I could do this because, spontaneously at different times in my life, the melodies would just come back to me. So, I did. And ONOFF; JMABC; L.18484 JMABC; LE ONOFF; E. CYRIL PHOTOGRAPHER:

Greetings from the president of the synagogue, Louis Sutker, at the Congregation Emanu-El rededication ceremony, June 6, 1982. 130 T H E S C R I B E that was really the beginning of my reconnection, which is now becoming the centre [of my life]. So, that’s the story. It’s not an unusual story for Victoria. Many, many of the people in the congregation of Victoria had very little to do with Yiddishkeit.... Somehow or other, either through children or through something ... they had to make some kind of movement, but tremendously deepen their connection with [the Jewish community] here in Victoria.

JG: So, what does the synagogue, or what is the synagogue, the Temple Emanu-El [as it was once called] that allows people to do this?

LS: It’s really hard to describe because it’s a culture of encouragement, permissiveness, but limit-setting at the same time. People have a lot of room to move into leadership roles here, and we encourage participation. So, we encourage training, we teach each other, and different people move in and out of the limelight.... So, that’s just, sometimes, it’s just the necessity because that’s the way it was, but now it’s a value.

Rabbi Harry Brechner Interviewed by Jill Swartz, May 15, 2012, Victoria, B.C.; 20.12-12.

JS: Let’s talk about Victoria.

HB: I’ve been here for over 10 years now.

JS: When did you get here?

HB: I got here in 2001, in August, which, in and of itself, was intense, right. I got here right before 9/11 and ... there were some really intense tragedies that happened soon after my arrival and I think that there was a real sense of the synagogue having a need for some real change, change and direction, and that required a level of grounding and anchoring, which I think became my role. From the JHSBC Collection: Oral History Excerpts – 150 Years of Emanu-El 131 PENNY TENNENHOUSE PENNY

The Brechner family, Victoria, B.C., summer 2012.

But what drew me to Victoria, I think, was, well, two things.... Out of all the other places – and I had ... once upon a time, promised Rae-Anne that I would never be a congregational rabbi; I was involved in schools and education and that was my career path, I got a ... bachelor’s degree in psychology with my emphasis on child development, I got a master’s degree in education, I was an educator, I w asn’t going to be a pulpit rabbi, and here I am, 10-plus years in the pulpit ... – what really drew me was the interview process was wonderful. Nobody tried to wine and dine me in fancy restaurants; I ate in ... one of the elder’s apartments. Young people came and wanted to hang out and learn Torah; people talked about getting together to go camping, like young adults. And there was a real sense of freedom ... something liberating about being on an island, there was something very creative that was happening here.

And the synagogue culture, right, I mean, there were two things, there was culture that was very, very difficult, but there was also a synagogue culture that had been created, and I’m sure it took a lot of work by [Rabbi] Victor Reinstein, that was really engaging. It was led by congregants, there wasn’t a sense of hierarchy, there was a real kind of we all need to step up and we can all do this. I could already sense 132 T H E S C R I B E the congregants were sharing knowledge and skills with [other] congregants and ... there was something really powerful there, there was a real sense of community. At the same time ... you have to understand that it took a little while to break what I call “Canadian code” ... when you come to Canada from America, everything looks the same and you can suddenly think that it’s the same, and then you start to realize that those subtle differences, they’re subtle but there’s depth, and there really is a different kind of sensibility, a different way of doing things and a different way of being, that Canada’s not the United States, and learning Canadian code, learning how things work, took a little while, and it took a sense of being open and asking questions and people sharing.

JS: Can you give an example?

HB: I think ... there’s a different way of building consensus, there’s a sense of needing to have consensus building, needing to take into account a lot of the different stakeholders’ needs before moving towards any kind of change or decision. Things are far less cavalier and perhaps because for many years Emanu-El was the only show in town, it was the [only] synagogue so it had to meet the needs of a broad-based community. So, one of the main and obvious ways that Victoria has changed is that we’ve got multiple expressions of Jewish life here, and the fact that we have achieved that without watering down ... what always has been the centre ... that we’ve grown but not at the expense of Emanu-El becoming smaller or weaker or losing something. And that was ... for me, a really great opportunity as well, because it was a chance to say this is who we are. And now there are choices. People who don’t want egalitarianism, people that don’t feel that the synagogue should be entirely open to non-heterosexuality, they have where to go. People who want ... more definitive kinds of answers, that aren’t happy being spiritual seekers ... struggling with the tradition and finding meaning for themselve s as well as community with the tradition, there’s places for them. And there are places for people who are looking for something that’s a little less G-d-centric, [but] that has a sense of community.... So, all of that From the JHSBC Collection: Oral History Excerpts – 150 Years of Emanu-El 133 exists here now, which, in a way, has a certain level of even more freedom.... Not that I think that anyone really looks over the shoulder of most Conservative rabbis, we’re autonomous beings in terms of our rabbinate, but there’s a real freedom here.

I think the gap that existed, well, two things happened here. One, there was a gap of rabbinic leadership, so there were a lot of people trying to fill that void and, whenever too many people jump into the vacuum, the vacuum sucks people in and I think that people confused service with “I want this role,” and I know from my own personal experience that the mantle of authority ... takes time and, when there was no rabbinic authority and people [were] jumping in to fill the gap, I think there was a lot of crashing of heads. People were jumping in with earnest and with good intentions but not seeing the other, and stepping on each other’s toes, and not having anybody there to direct traffic, not having anybody there who had a sense of authority to say, “You have incredible gifts, let’s put your gifts here on this shelf and let’s put your gifts here, and let’s build around what we have” ... I saw that as my role, as well as taking some long walks on the beach with people who had bashed heads to talk about, “OK, so you guys bashed heads, let’s figure this out and find shalom and find ways that we can all share.” And that was the beginning.

And I think also we were a little bit off track ... even though we were the only show in town, it was very mom and pop ... and it was a lot about intimate relations, [and] the intimate relations sometimes created a level of cronyism ... and outsiders felt like they were really outsiders, so that needed to stop. The concern about that is going from mom and pop to a more ... progressive business. How do you do that but not lose the beauty of mom and pop?... We need to ... teach Jewish values from ... the minute you fill out a membership application, to how you enter the synagogue and get greeted, to what happe ns within the synagogue, to learning, the whole bit.

The one thing [about] the synagogue [that] has always blown me away was how people care for each other in times of need.... I think 134 T H E S C R I B E it’s a reaction, in a certain way, and a very positive reaction, to the fact that many of us don’t have extended family here. So, we’ve become extended family for each other.... I really feel like I’m part of my community. I have my role to play, but I’m in a community that I can talk [to] about my own struggles.... I think what really draws me and has allowed me to set roots here is that I’m part of Emanu-El. Some day, if I’m not going to be playing rabbi, active rabbi anymore, I’m still going to be a member.... I think part of the reason why I didn’t ever want to be a congregational rabbi was I could never imagine a congregation that I wanted to be a member of and that I also get to be [the] rabbi of. So, that’s been something really, really special.... I know that there is stuff that we have to keep working on ... we’re not the most organized community on the planet ... but I think that, in the present and the immediate [future] ... we’re pretty good about taking care of our elders, being there for people who are in need, allowing for people to be who they are.

*** I think, with our 150th celebration, I think we’re finally glimpsing really for the first time in 10 years what really is our potential and who we really are.... And I think we’re also celebrating that sense of what the pioneering spirit that created us in the first place left, and [we are] trying to dig into that legacy of independence, of self-reliability and bringing that forward. And also, really, as painful as the cemetery desecration was this past January ... I was really thankful that my synagogue leadership trusted me to shepherd ... trusting that trying to take a restorative strategy was going to be the positive way and also to show that we’re strong, because to do restorative justice you have to be strong. And I didn’t want our children ... I didn’t want them to ever feel like we were victims. I wanted them to feel that sense of strength, in terms of how we teach our children.

JS: So, for the record, what happened? What did you do and what came about?

HB: So, for the record, my experience was [that] I received a phone From the JHSBC Collection: Oral History Excerpts – 150 Years of Emanu-El 135 call. It must have been Saturday night, right after Shabbat, from Jeffrey, our cemetery caretaker, and he told me what was there and I was a little bit shocked. I said, “OK, I’m going to sleep on it and in the morning we’ll move on this.” I didn’t want to be reactive. And then it came to me that I needed to write a letter to the perpetrator, asking the perpetrator to come forward in a spirit of rep air, in a spirit of tikkun, and then, when I went and visited and I saw the symbols, the swastika, when I saw the swastika next to my friend Rysia ... may her blessing be for a memory, I saw a swastika near Rysia’s grave and Rysia is a woman who survived maybe four different camps, if you can imagine....

JS: What was her last name?

HB: Rysia Kraskin. Seeing that so close to Rysia ... all I wanted to do was take this person and show them the graves of Rysia, [let them] hear Rysia’s story, how she was saved by the care and love of a childhood friend, or to visit and understand who these people were and what this was all about, that it felt to me like this kind of misplaced anger and hatred ... was an opportunity for us to learn. Unfortunately, the person never came [forward], and part of me figured, well, maybe that person wouldn’t come, but the letter went out into the Times Colonist and people picked it up everywhere and people started talking about it, and people were reaching out to my community through me in incredible ways. I had a man come with kosher wine and pickles because he didn’t know what else to buy, a non-Jewish man, saying, “I hope that this will be good, I wanted to just bring y ou guys comfort.” As well ... one minister, [a] retired minister, said, “I have a cabin in the woods that can ... seat 14 people around the table, please use it.”... I just said thank you to all these people and I was blown away by the support we were getting. And Michael Bloomfield ... a leader in our congregation ... [he] and I spoke about needing to do something, needing to have a way for people to come together, and I thought, by coming together, that our youth and our children would see how supported we are.... 136 T H E S C R I B E

We decided to do it through social networking, through letters to our leadership. I expected ... 200, maybe 300, people to show up. It was also important that Michael and I work together hard on who was going to speak. Keeping it like a vigil to me is people gathering, having moments where we really connect and that’s enough ... and we decided that only one person representing the City of Victoria, the mayor, [would speak] but it was actually the mayor’s representative who came, Charlene Thornton-Joe. That was going to be enough. And 1,000-plus people, I don’t even know, just to me, my memory is [that] a sea of people were there ... in all directions just streaming into the cemetery.... It was as if the perpetrator couldn’t step forward but all of us stepping forward really made a very powerful message about Victoria and about the place that our congregation now has in Victoria.

You know that people, I mean, before this incident ever happened, I was stopped on the street by ... someone who’s involved in a lot of anti-poverty work and a lot of work with the homeless coalition, [and she] came to me and she said, “You know, if other communities could do what you do, you’re so small but so effective and the amount of work that you do ... on issues of poverty in our city – you meaning Congregation Emanu-El – is just a shining example.” That’s been a major focus of who we are ... caring internally for all of our congregants and for Jews on southern Vancouver Island, as well as caring for [people in] the downtown core where we live, which is really a centre [for] a lot of marginal people and cert ainly a centre of poverty ... and the openness that we have to other communities.

To go back to a story, when I got here in 2001, we had gotten to that flashpoint of deciding whether we were going to build the educational centre, the Fisher Building. It was very contentious, there was a whole sense that no, we can’t do it, we don’t have the money ... and there was a whole sense of yes, we’re going to do this, and we ran with it. And we have the building [now], which is something I think that many people are very proud of. We never had a major Jewish symbol on the building and Stan Fisher, who was really the driving force From the JHSBC Collection: Oral History Excerpts – 150 Years of Emanu-El 137 behind the ... building wanted to put a very specific Magen David [on it] ... from somewhere, I believe, in the Czech Republic. It was originally made from railway ties. We were going to put a Magen David on our building and people were coming to me and saying, “Rabbi, are you sure that’s safe, are you sure that this is good for us?” And maybe it was the fact that ... I’m an American and an Israeli first, and only now [am] really becoming Canadian but my answer was, “We will be secure when we are known.” We’ll be secure when people interact with us and understand us, and know us and care about us, and this symbol is part of that, that hiding is not safe, hiding is not security. And Isa Milman ... wrote that beautiful poem, “Hanging the Star [of David] on Blanshard [Street].” That was a big deal for us. And that’s just mentioning Isa ... we [also] just had a book launch at our synagogue.

That’s the other really special thing about Emanu-El ... the commitment that people have to the arts community and the number of ... creative artists and craftspeople.... I think it was a community that often gets overlooked. I think the other piece that was really clear to me when I began working with a rtists and creating programs specifically for them, was the fact that they don’t get a lot of chance to talk about their process with other artists.... They’re very lonely kinds of pursuits and to be able to share with other artists what’s going on with you and what your process is like and even sharing ... simple ideas about where you are getting supplies ... [and I set about] trying to create ... Je wish text as the muse.... It took a little while to convince artists that you don’t need to have 20 years of Talmud study to come in and study a mystical text, that it’s OK, we’re going to go in, as they say in the secular yeshivot, they say, “We’re going to go in yechef, we’re going to go in barefoot,” without any background, without anything, we’re just going to go, in trust, and I think a lot of rich ness has come from that over the years.

JS: So, it strikes me that we have to mention the Calling All Artists program. 138 T H E S C R I B E

HB: So, Calling all Artists ... [came from when] I got hold of a few artists, [and] I told them to tell friends and tell other friends. The adult education committee under Barb, it’s been under Barb Pelman for a long time; Barb is really a poet and [is] really involved in that community in Victoria, [and she] just drew people. And I picked what I thought was an enigmatic and interesting, textured mystical text ... and we studied over the course of the winter together. And then, after our study, we studied also a text that had to do with creative process, comparing ruach hakodesh, divine inspiration, with artistic inspiration, with creativity and what is all of that about? What is the role of the artist in our world and in our congregation and in our society? And then we put on ... some incredible art shows together, where everyone after our learning would go and create and come back. And it was always that first coming back that always, to me, was the best, where people would talk about the learning and a little bit about the work they did and how they did it and what the meaning behind it was for them.... And then we ... would have a show.... And the other beauty was two really incredible things ... amateurs and beginners got to hang in an art show with people who have hung in the National Gallery [of Canada] ... [and] poets got to hang out and write with people who, one was a woman who was the Poet Laureate of Canada. And seasoned artists, for some reason, often decided to play in media they had never touched before; I don’t know, it was just this kind of vibe going on and it was really a very special time. And ... the trap sometimes in small congregations, perhaps, I don’t know, is that when it’s successful and it happens, you do it every year. Sometimes, you need to stop, sometimes something new needs to emerge. So, we’re in that place now, where we’ve taken a rest. We’ll wait for something new to emerge, but I know that many of the artists are still ... really connected and have become ... leaders in our community. From the JHSBC Collection: Images of Emanu-El 139

FROM THE JHSBC COLLECTION: IMAGES OF CONGREGATION EMANU-EL JEWISH WESTERN BULLETIN FONDS; JMABC L.150 19 JMABC FONDS; BULLETIN WESTERN JEWISH

Exterior of Congregation L.10832 JMABC Emanu-El, 1910.

Temple Emanu-El, Certificate of Confirmation of Meyer Grossman, May 1903. 140 T H E S C R I B E

Left: An unidentified bar mitzvah at RALPH BARER’S CONGREGATION EMANU-EL RALPH COLLECTION; BARER’S JMABC CONGREGATION L.17737 Congregation Emanu-El, circa 1966.

Below: Chuppah (wedding) canopy of Congregation Emanu-El, presented by the Hebrew Ladies of Victoria, 1972. PHOTOGRAPHER: CYRIL E. LEONOFF; JMABC L.00262 JMABC LEONOFF; E. CYRIL PHOTOGRAPHER: From the JHSBC Collection: Images of Emanu-El 141 PHOTOGRAPHER: CYRIL E. LEONOFF; JMABC L.06634 JMABC LEONOFF; E. CYRIL PHOTOGRAPHER:

Congregation Emanu-El restoration, November 18, 1980. PHOTOGRAPHER: CYRIL E. LEONOFF; JMABC L.06635 JMABC LEONOFF; E. CYRIL PHOTOGRAPHER:

Congregation Emanu-El restoration, 1980.

Congregation Emanu-El restoration, scaffolding, 1980. PHOTOGRAPHER: CYRIL E. LEONOFF; JMABC L.06702 142 T H E S C R I B E JMABC L.00891 JMABC

Rosette window, women’s gallery, Congregation Emanu-El, 1981. PHOTOGRAPHER: CYRIL E. LEONOFF; JMABC L.00902 JMABC LEONOFF; E. CYRIL PHOTOGRAPHER:

Torah scrolls, Congregation Emanu-El, 1981. From the JHSBC Collection: Images of Emanu-El 143 PHOTOGRAPHER: CYRIL E. LEONOFF; JMABC L.00895 JMABC LEONOFF; E. CYRIL PHOTOGRAPHER:

Parade passing through Chinese Gate, as part of the Congregation Emanu-El rededication ceremony, June 6, 1982. HER: CYRIL E. LEONOFF; JMABC L.00896 JMABC LEONOFF; E. CYRIL PHOTOGRAP HER:

Reenactment of the laying of Congregation Emanu-El’s cornerstone, at the rededication ceremony, June 6, 1982. 144 T H E S C R I B E PHOTOGRAPHER: CYRIL E. L EONOFF; E. CYRIL PHOTOGRAPHER: Greetings from the premier of British Columbia, William Bennett, at the Congregation Emanu-El

J MABC rededication ceremony, June 6, 1982. L. 18483 J EW IS H ; PHOTOGRAPHER: CYRIL E. LEONOFF; JMABC; L.15027 JMABC; LEONOFF; E. CYRIL PHOTOGRAPHER: FONDS ; BULLETIN W ESTER N

Canadian Jewish Historical Society (CJHS) delegates attending the Learned Society’s Conference held at the University of Victoria visit Congregation Emanu-El. From left: Allan Klenman (Jewish Historical Society of British Columbia president), Gerald Tulchinsky (Queen’s University), Judith Nefsky (Canadian Jewish Congress archivist), Prof. Jonathan (University of British Columbia) and Cristine Wisenthal, Victor Sefton (CJHS president) and his wife, William Jacobs and his wife (Holocaust group), Mildred and Harry Gutkin (Jewish Historical Society of Western Canada president), June 5, 1983, Victoria, B.C. From the JHSBC Collection: Images of Emanu-El 145 PHOTOGRAPHER: CYRIL E. LEONOFF; JMABC L.06708 JMABC LEONOFF; E. CYRIL PHOTOGRAPHER:

A group gathers on the stairs of Congregation Emanu-El at the synagogue’s designation as a National Historic Site, June 26, 1983.

JEWISH WESTERN BULLETIN FONDS; JMABC L.15030 JMABC FONDS; BULLETIN WESTERN JEWISH Newly elected executive of Congregation Emanu-El at the 127th annual general meeting. From left: Chuck Waldman, Colleen Gibbings, Arnie Niederhoffer, Charlotte Atlung Sutker, Ralph Barer, June 1990. (Harry Brown missing from photo.) JMABC L.08778 JMABC

Drawing of Congregation Emanu-El with its Educational and Cultural Centre (the Al and Sylvia Fisher Building), 2003. 146 T H E S C R I B E PHOTOGRAPHER: CYRIL E. LEONOFF; JMABC L.12407 Yiddish Columbia Klezmer Orchestra at Congregation Emanu-El’s Education and Cultural Centre (Fisher Building) dedication, April 6, 2003. PHOTOGRAPHER: CYRIL E. LEONOFF; JMABC L.12410

Right Worshipful Brother Michael J. Denton and Masons at Congregation Emanu-El’s Education and Cultural Centre (Fisher Building) dedication, April 6, 2003. Recent Publications 147

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Nazi Germany, Canadian Responses: Confronting Antisemitism in the Shadow of War, edited by L. Ruth Klein (McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2012) attempts to answer the question, “Why did Canada act as it did in the 1930s and 1940s?”

The book description reads, “Answering this question requires a deeper understanding of the attitudes, ideas and information that circulated in Canadian society during this period. How much did Canadians know at the time about the horrors unfold- ing against the Jews of Europe? Where did their information come from? And how did they respond, on both public and institutional levels, to the events that marked Hitler’s march to power: the 1935 Nuremberg Race Laws, the 1936 Olympics, Kristallnacht and the crisis of the MS St. Louis? The contributors to this coll ection ... turn to the wider public sphere for answers: to the media, the world of literature, the university campus, the realm of international sport, and networks of community activism. Their findings reveal that the persecutions and atrocities taking place in Nazi Germany inspired a range of responses from ordinary Canadians, from indifference to outrage to quiet acquiescence.”

Contributors to Nazi Germany, Canadian Responses include Doris Bergen, University of Toronto; Richard Menkis, University of British Columbia; Harold Troper, OISE/University of Toronto; Amanda Grzyb, University of Western Ontario; Rebecca Margolis, University of Ottawa; Michael Brown, York University; Norman Ravvin, Concordia University; and James Walker, University of Waterloo. The editor, Klein, is executive director, Nati onal Task Force on 148 T H E S C R I B E

Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research, and national director, League for Human Rights of B’nai Brith Canada.

Imposing Their Will: An Organizational History of Jewish Toronto, 1933-1948 by Jack Lipinsky (McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2011) examines the “beginnings of one of the most organized ethnic communities in North America.”

The description continues: “In 1931, Toronto’s Jews could be found i n areas as varied as the stalls of squawking chickens and vegetable vendors in Kensington Market and grand houses in far north Forest Hill. Over the course of the 1930s and 1940s, they were transformed into an organized and cohesive community. Imposing Their Will examines the achievements of Toronto’s Jewish community leaders and the organizational infrastructure they established during the volatile year s of the Depression and the Second World War.”

In Imposing Their Will, Lipinsky shows “how issues such as immigration restrictions, poverty, antisemitism and the Holocaust contributed to cooperation between institutions and individuals.” He “studies the re-emergence of the Canadian Jewish Congress, the establishment of the Toronto Free Hebrew School, the rise of professionalism in the various philan thropic organizations, and traces the community’s shift away from the influence of Montreal.”

Lipinsky received his doctorate in history from the University of Toronto, lectures in its School of Continuing Studies, teaches at Robbins Hebrew Academy and is the spiritual coordinator of the Stashow-Slipi Congregation. Recent Publications 149

Featuring vintage images of Jewish American ethnic communities, Arcadia Publishing has produced more than 50 publications to date that celebrate “the unique cultures and traditions of Jewish heritage through historical images and descriptive captions.”

One of its most recent publications is Napa Valley’s Jewish Heritage by Henry Michalski and Donna Mendelsohn for the Jewish Historical Society of Napa Valley.

Released in summer 2012, Napa Valley’s Jewish Heritage features 200 black and white images:

“As the world rushed in to profit from California’s gold strike of 1848, many Jews joined the throng, not necessarily to mine but to sell merchandise to prospectors,” reads the book’s description. “Some settled in Napa Valley, a basin of rich agricultural land nestled between two mountain ridges. These pioneers conducted business, making significant contributions to the development of the valley. Participating in cultural life, holding public office and leading organizations, many also made fine wines, something perfected thousands of years ago as commanded in scripture. They continue to do so, and this is their story told through photographs.”

Yesterday’s Maven’s, Today’s Foodies: Traditions in Northwest Jewish Kitchens (Washington State Jewish Historical Society, 2011) “includes recipes and stories. Through the lens of your kitchen, your grandmother’s kitchen, your children’s kitchen, we see a slice of our unique history – a history that illuminates our Sephardic and Ashkenazic traditions and combines them with the pioneer spirit of 150 T H E S C R I B E the Pacific Northwest, its bounty of food products, fresh produce and growing foodie culture.”

The cookbook was launched, according to the Washington State Jewish Historical Society’s website, because, “For the Jews of Washington state, cuisine – and particularly the stories that the recipes tell – communicates ancient traditions, eastern European and Ottoman history, Pacific Northwest acculturation and the evolution of each successive generation’s values and taste buds.”

The 24th annual Helen and Stan Vine Canadian Jewish Book Awards were presented on June 7, 2012, at the Bram and Bluma Appel Salon at the Toronto Reference Library. Nine winners were selected from approximately 60 submissions to the Koffler Centre of the Arts of books with significant Jewish content by Canadian authors published in 2011. They were:

• Biography: Fraidie Martz and Andrew Wilson, A Fiery Soul: The Life and Theatrical Times of John Hirsch (Véhicule Press)

• Fiction: David Bezmozgis, The Free World (HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.)

• History: Denis Vaugeois, Les Premiers Juifs d’Amérique 1760-1860: L’extraodinaire histoire de la famille Hart (Septentrion)

• Holocaust literature: Eli Pfefferkorn, The Muselmann at the Water Cooler (Academic Studies Press)

• Memoir: Richard Marceau, Juif, Une Histoire Québécoise (Éditions Du Marais); also published in English as A Quebec Jew, adapted and translated by Lori Beckerman and Richard Marceau

• Poetry: S. Weilbach, Singing from the Darktime: A Childhood Memoir in Poetry and Prose (McGill-Queen’s University Press) Recent Publications 151

• Scholarship: Kalman Weiser, Jewish People, Yiddish Nation: Noah Prylucki and the Folkists in Poland (University of Toronto Press)

• Yiddish: Rebecca Margolis, Jewish Roots, Canadian Soil: Yiddish Culture in Montreal, 1905-1945 (McGill-Queen’s University Press)

• Youth literature: Lesley Simpson, Yuvi’s Candy Tree (Kar-Ben Publishing)

Details on all the winners are available at kofflerarts.org.

Contributors 153

CONTRIBUTORS

Celia Brauer

Celia Brauer grew up in Montreal and graduated with a bachelor of fine arts from Concordia University in 1976. She subsequently moved west and lived in Victoria for three years before moving to Vancouver in 1980. She has worked in diverse areas, including costume creation for theatre and film, computer systems support, gardening and special events. Her artwork over the years has principally employed fabric and photocollage. A strong interest in the natural world on the West Coast brought her closer to Judaism’s strength in ecological wisdom, which led her to become a co-founder of Vancouver’s original Jewish environmental group, Adam va Adamah. Celia presently also does freelance writing and organizes special events and educational initiatives for a local watershed group, the False Creek Watershed Society, which she co-founded in 2005.

Ed Fitch

Ed Fitch is a retired civil engineer living in Victoria with his wife, Sharon. A member of Congregation Emanu-El since their arrival in the city, he is chair of the synagogue’s house committee.

Born and raised in Montreal, Ed joined the Canadian Army right after high school. He graduated from Royal Military College, Kingston, Ont., in 1971 with a degree in civil engineering and a commission as a lieutenant in Her Majesty’s Canadian Armed Forces. Thus began a career in military engineering that completed after 43 years of widely varying adventures and opportunities for tikkun olam. Resident in Victoria since 2006, Ed is occupied with a variety of volunteer and philanthropic endeavours. None of this would have been remotely possible without the devoted support of his family and, especially, his dear wife, Sharon. 154 T H E S C R I B E

Sharon Fitch

Sharon Fitch was born in Belleville, Ont., and grew up in Montreal. She graduated from the Jewish General Hospital School of Nursing as a registered nurse in 1971. She worked in pediatrics and community health nursing, and as the manager of a secondhand store. Volunteer work has always been a major focus in her life. As a military wife, Sharon and her family moved 14 times, across Canada and Germany. Retiring to Victoria in 2006, volunteer activities still keep Sharon busy, as does travel to spend time with family across the country. Sharon and Ed are the proud parents of two daughters and one grandson, who live in Ottawa.

Cyril E. Leonoff

Cyril Edel Leonoff was born in Winnipeg, Man., in 1925. He is the grandson of Edel Brotman, a homesteader and rabbi of the Wapella, Sask., farm co lony, 1889-1906. Over a period of 65 years, Cyril has been a resident of three West Coast cities: New Westminster, Seattle and Vancouver.

A civil engineer by profession, Cyril is also a graduate of the Public History Program at Simon Fraser University. He has authored and edited a number of books and papers on engineering and historical topics.

In 1970-74, Cyril was the founding president of the Jewish Historical Society of British Columbia. For his work The Jewish Farmers of Western Canada, he was awarded the Margaret McWilliams Medal of the Manitoba Historical Society in 1985. In 2007, he received the Distinguished Service Award of the Association for Canadian Jewish Studies. He is currently the historian emeritus of the Jewish Historical Society of British Columbia and the Canadian editor of Wes tern States Jewish History quarterly journal. Contributors 155

Dvora Levin

Dvora Levin has published two books of her poetry, Sharav and To Bite the Blue Apple (both Ekstasis Editions), as well as two collections of poems written by the homeless, the addicted and sex workers in her weekly writing sessions: Voices from the Edge (with a CD of the poets reading their work) and Victoria from the Banks of the Mainstream. As an active member of Victoria’s poetry community, she is a regular reader at Planet Earth Poetry, has read poems on CBC Radio, participated in the Poet Tree Project and continues to lead poetry- writing workshops with addicts and parolees in recovery.

Barbara Pelman

Barbara Pelman was born and raised in Vancouver, B.C., and now lives in Victoria. She recently retired from a satisfying career teaching high school English, but continues teaching as a session al lecturer in the University of Victoria’s faculty of education. For the past dozen years, Barbara has been involved with Victoria’s vibrant writing community, as a featured reader at Planet Earth Poetry, participant at various poetry retreats with Patrick Lane and Lorna Crozier, and author of two books of poetry: One Stone (Ekstasis Editions, 2005) and Borrowed Rooms (Ronsdale Press, 2008). Her poetry has been included in many literary journals as well as chapbooks produced by Leaf Press. She is a member of the board of Congregation Emanu-El, the chair of the adult education committee, co-chair of Emanu-El’s 150th Celebrations committee, and the “den mother” of the Calling All Artists project.

Jordan Stanger-Ross

Jordan Stanger-Ross is associate professor in the department of history at the University of Victoria. He is the author of the book Staying Italian: Urban Change and Ethnic Life in Postwar Toronto and Philadelphia (University of Chicago, 2009), and of a number of articles that explore the history of immigration, race and ethnicity in 156 T H E S C R I B E

Canada and the United States. He lives in Victoria with his wife, Ilana Stanger-Ross, and two daughters, Tillie and Eva.

Adele Vernon

Adele Vernon has spent her life investigating many art forms, starting with dance, music and theatre, branching out into visual arts at the Vancouver School of Art and becoming a professional photographer. Writing has always been an important practice, and she has contributed poetry to small magazines. She wrote plays for the Girl Guides and produced and directed them. Her writing today includes poetry, short stories, columns and memoirs.

Archivist’s Report 157

ARCHIVIST’S REPORT

In 2012, the Nemetz Jewish Community Archives of the Jewish Museum and Archives of British Columbia ( JMABC) received a significant number of new donations, received and assisted researchers with various research topics, continued the Oral History Program, continued digitizing materials and continued updating the museum’s website. All of these developments further increase public awareness and interest in the museum and allow the JMABC to grow, providing outreach and access to more communities and individuals throughout British Columbia.

Acquisitions

Some of the most important acquisitions to date were acquired by the JMABC in 2012. Both large collections and small items were donated this year by generous individuals, organizations and synagogues. Some notable new acquisitions incl ude three letters written by Leonard Frank, 1922, to Ethel McDonald, editor of Mountaineering Magazine, discussing skiing, photoshoots, climbing, etc., and an album of 54 black and white Leonard Frank photographs documenting a trip on the SS Prince George up the coast of British Columbia, circa the 1930s, donated by John Keenlyside; 15 past JNF Negev Dinner souvenir booklets, donated by Jewish National Fund; 12 large photographs of Lower Mainland and Victoria synagogue bimahs, nine large black and white portrait photographs of past Louis Brier Home and Hospital residents, as well as a variety of other material from the Louis Brier, donated by the Louis Brier Home and Hospital; Vancouver Jewish Community Centre charter membership club card No. 3 issued to Leonard White, 1962, donated by Mark White; fi ve records from Congregation Beth Israel recording the wedding of Samuel Berman and Sophie Pelman, June 13, 1943, which includes the wedding ceremony and reception, songs sung by Cantor A. Deutsch, a conversation between the bride’s father, groom’s father 158 T H E S C R I B E and the rabbi at the wedding, a conversation between the rabbi, bride and groom, the bride/groom’s speech, and six women (Vera Lipson, Pearl Hoffman, Sophie Rothstein, Anne Braverman, Rita ?, and ? Isman) singing a tribute at the wedding reception, donated by the Isaac Waldman Jewish Public Library; and documents and photographs that belonged to Marjorie Groberman, donated by Hildy Barnett.

Another three important acquisitions of particular note are:

Congregation Emanu-El fonds: more than 17 boxes of Congregation Emanu-El material, dates circa 1865-2000s. The material includes some of the earliest documents in the JMABC collection, consisting of minute books, marriage registers and a box of photographs and documents from the Sylvester family. The oldest document in the collection is the original cemetery deed, dated 1865 and signed by H.M. Cohen.

John Keenlyside’s Congregation Emanu-El collection: five early manuscripts (1862-1864) relating to the establishment of Congregation Emanu-El, and a collection of 18 letters (1862-1864) between the Blackman brothers, Morris and Abraham, documenting the development and changes of their mercantile business in Victoria, New Westminster and the Cariboo durin g the heyday of the Cariboo Gold Rush. These five manuscripts are some of the earliest records extant of any activities of the first Jewish congregation on the West Coast of Canada. It is because of generous people like John Keenlyside, who sees the value in history, that the JMABC is able to preserve history for future generations. Keenlyside’s donation is timely in nature, as the congregation celebra tes its 150th anniversary in 2013.

Congregation Beth Israel fonds: 37 boxes of Congregation Beth Israel material and seven boxes of Women’s League of Beth Israel Congregation material; dates circa 1930s-2000s. In 2012, Beth Israel embarked on its new building and site redevelopment and, as such, it Archivist’s Report 159 was a perfect opportunity to discuss their archives with them. The congregation decided to emphasize the importance of their history and their archival documents and photographs by donating them to the JMABC. With this donation and its sponsorship, the material will be safely stored in an environmentally controlled storage repository and processed using the strictest archival standards, making it available both to Beth Israel members and researchers. This collection is a wonderful addition to the archives and, hopefully, with this donation and that of the Congregation Emanu-El fonds, other synagogues will see the importance of donating, making this the first step in the commitment to the long-term preservation and access of their material.

The JMABC is extremely grateful to all its donors. Their genero sity allows us to develop and continue to be a valuable resource for researchers around the world. In order to preserve the history and memory of the Jewish experience in British Columbia, we welcome and collect archives from people of all walks of life, with different backgrounds and experiences. Please contact the archives if you wish to make a donation.

Research

The Jewish Museum and Archives of British Columbia provides research services. We respond to e-mail and phone requests, as well as accommodate in-house researchers. Our users include professional writers, the media, students, genealogists, fellow archival institutions and members of the Jewish and general communities. In 2012, the Nemetz Jewish Community Archives served 430 research requests from around the world.

Many users of the JMABC’s resources are genealogists. The genealogical community is a valuable and large group of researchers. At the JMABC, we understand the significance of genealogical research and, as such, we provide free access to two genealogical databases: ancestry.ca and findmypast.com. 160 T H E S C R I B E

Oral History Program

This past year, the Oral History Program was kindly sponsored by an anonymous donor, thereby allowing the JMABC to continue this integral program. The Jewish Historical Society of British Columbia (JHSBC) has been interviewing community members since 1968 and, to date, has recorded approximately 700 interviews. Today, the JMABC continues to digitally record and transcribe new interviews. In 2012, 18 new oral histories were recorded, and 28 oral history transcriptions were completed.

Interviewees for 2012 included Senator Jack Austin, Sonia Bellas, Rabbi Harry Brechner, John Cerny, Sara Ciacci, Cissie Eppel, Ida Feldstein, Flora Bluma Field, Norman Franks, Bill Gruenthal, Edgar Krieger, Isaac Messinger, Leonard and Sylvia Narod, Claire Shaffer, John Sitwell, Raya Sitwell, George We instein, Harold Yochlowitz and Helen Alko (on ABC Recycling).

The JMABC also completed the Oral History Collection Digitization and Access Project. Volunteer Andrea Arnold and staff member Marcy Babins digitized another 170 oral history interviews that were recorded on audiocassette. In total, the JMABC has digitized all 534 oral history interviews on audiocassette.

In honour of Irene and Morton Dodek’s 61st wedding anniversary, their children, Carla Dodek, Peter Dodek and Gail Dodek Wenner, donated the funds to purchase a new oral history digital recorder kit: The Irene and Morton Dodek Oral History Kit. This is a wonderful addition to the expanding Oral History Program.

Archival Processing, Digitization and Sponsorship

This year, the JMABC was very lucky to have received several sponsorships to cover the costs of processing archival collections. In 2012, the JMABC received 10 archives sponsorships: six archival Archivist’s Report 161 collections were completed and made available for research, with another four in progress.

Completed: • Hadassah-WIZO Council of Vancouver fonds – Young Canada Works grant • Burquest Jewish Community Association fonds – Gruenthal family • Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver, Gallery fonds – Anonymous donor • Ralph Barer’s Congregation Emanu-El collection – Chris and Rhoda Friedrichs • Vancouver Jewish Community Fund and Council fonds – JET Equipment Tools (Canada) Foundation on behalf of Isabelle Diamond • John Keenlyside’s Congregation Emanu-El collection – John Keenlyside

Still in Process: • Dr. Irving and Phyliss Snider fonds – Snider Foundation • Freiman family fonds – Debby Freiman and David Schwartz • Nemetz family fonds – Shirley Barnett • Congregation Beth Israel fonds – Anonymous donor

Finding aids for these collections can be found on MemoryBC (memorybc.ca); digitized photographs are available on the JMABC website (jewishmuseum.ca).

Conclusion

This year was a busy and important year in the development and expansion of the archives. The Nemetz Jewish Community Archives could not do all of this work without the generosity of its volunteers. This year, archives volunteers logged 1,022.75 hours of work. Thank you to all of the volunteers for all of their hard work. 162 T H E S C R I B E

In 2013, we will continue to collect, preserve and process archival collections, to make the archives available for research, as well as to digitize photographs and upload archival records, photographs, audio and video to the website. These efforts will allow more people to share in the wealth of material in the Nemetz Jewish Community Archives and increase the number of researchers interested in viewing, studying and writing about the rich history of our community.

I would like to dedicate this issue of The Scribe to all the historians out there, both professional and amateur. In this issue, the vast majority of the photographs were taken by Cyril E. Leonoff. Without Cyril’s dedication to the JHSBC and his love of history, we wouldn’t have the significant events in Congregation Emanu-El’s history documented and preserved. We will be forever indebted to him.

It is also important to note that, without Jordan Stanger-Ross and Ed Fitch’s determination to preserve the archives of Congregation Emanu-El, its material might still be boxed up, scattered throughout various nooks and crannies of the synagogue.

I hope this issue of The Scribe inspires others to actively take an interest in documenting and studyi ng their history.

Jennifer Yuhasz, Archivist Jewish Museum and Archives of British Columbia 163

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CALL FOR PAPERS The Scribe

The Jewish Historical Society of British Columbia’s journal, The Scribe, has been in existence since 1979. In 2009, it became an annually published journal with occasional peer-reviewed articles.

The Jewish Historical Society of British Columbia is seeking submissions for the upcoming 2013 issue of The Scribe.

Contributions may include scholarly essays, oral history interviews, commentary, and book and exhibit reviews. All scholarly essays and oral histories should in some way pertain to Jewish life in British Columbia. Scholarly essays may fall into the disciplines of history, art or literary criticism, or the social sciences.

Back issues of The Scribe from 1979 to 2004 are published online at http://www.jewishmuseum.ca/Scribe.

SUBMISSIONS

Submissions to be considered for peer review should be in editable text format (MS Word preferred) and prepared using the Chicago Manual of Style. The preferred length for articles is 5,000-10,000 words, but shorter or longer submissions will be considered and reviewed. Proposals should be ready for peer review, with the author’s name, contact information and article title on a separate page. A first page of the article should inclu de the title and a 150-word abstract.

Proposals are only accepted electronically as e-mail attachments, indicating “The Scribe – Call for Papers” in the subject line. Book reviews and other material not requiring peer review also should be submitted as an e-mail attachment in MS Word or another 165 editable text format. All submissions should be sent to Editor at [email protected].

By submitting a work, you are guaranteeing that it is your own, that you alone own the copyright to it, and that its content and the material accompanying it (e.g. photographs, maps, etc.) do not infringe upon any existing copyright. By submitting a work, you agree to grant the Jewish Historical Society of Bri tish Columbia the right to publish that work in The Scribe journal for no payment. Future online publication of your work is included in your granting of publication rights to the Jewish Historical Society of British Columbia.

For more information on submitting articles please contact:

The Jewish Historical Society of British Columbia 604-257-5199 http://www.jewishmuseum.ca/submissions 166 T H E S C R I B E

In 2013, Congregation Emanu-El celebrates the 150th anniversary of its establishment on the corner of Blanshard and Pandora in Victoria, B.C.

As part of the year-long anniversary celebration, the 2012 issue of The Scribe is dedicated to telling the story of Canada’s oldest synagogue, a building designated as a National Historical Site and home to a vibrant Jewish community.

Join us in celebrating Congregation Emanu-El’s anniversary by ordering your copy of this special edition of The Scribe from the synagogue, or the Jewish Historical Society of British Columbia. As well, consider joining the community’s June 2, 2013, celebration in Victoria.

For more information, contact Ed Fitch or Barbara Pelman, E-E150 committee co-chairs, at 1-250-382-0615, and visit http://www.congregationemanu-el.ca. THE JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA